The Black Secret
by EM Vought
Summary: As the final year begins for Harry and his friends the destiny of all is coming to pass. The Chosen Ones are coming into their own for the Last Battle with Voldemort. With the death of Albus Dumbledore a new generation must rise to take their places as the leaders of the Wizarding World. With no one knowing if they will survive this tide.
1. Chapter 1

Voldemort looked over his assembled Death Eaters, a sneer on his smooth almost featureless face. He ran a hand over Nagini's sleek scales hissing softly to her as she looked up at him adoringly. Her eyes flicked to Bellatrix as they spoke softly together. Voldemort looked to the snake chuckling softly as he ran a finger down her head. Then his eyes landed on the empty seat next to Draco sitting on the other side of his parents from Bellatrix. "Why, Draco, where is your little moon princess? Did I not ask that all of your household join us, Lucius?"

"Y-you did, my Lord." Lucius said clearing his throat a little. "I am sure she'll be here momentarily."

"Wormtail? Why don't you escort our beautiful lady down?"

"There is no need." The accented alto voice said as the curvy blonde woman glided into view. She wore a moonstone pendant about her neck.

Voldemort's eyes flicked to it as he fingered the one he wore, a much bigger one, on his robes. "Ah, Kaeli, I am glad to see you could join us." He stood and took her hand as she was about to sit down. Resisting the urge to yank it from his grasp she looked up at him and all he could see was hatred in her light eyes. He smirked seeing it. "You are truly a spectacle, my lady. Wearing silver and gray when everyone else is wearing black…my, my…"

"If that is all, may I sit now?" She asked him and then a look of pure disgust crossed her features as he smelled her wrist. She did yank it away then. "Do not touch me." She told him.

He chuckled. "Such spirit in the Daughters of the Moon," he looked like he enjoyed her resistance to him. He could see Bellatrix glaring at Kaeli from the corner of her eye. As if she had anything to be jealous about. He touched Kaeli's shoulder as she sat caressing down her arm. He felt her pull away and shudder at his touch. He settled back down at the head of the table watching the other Death Eaters, many were pretending they hadn't been watching, others looked bored with the proceedings. His eyes moved over to the woman in the corner suspended in mid-air and then he heard the footsteps approaching. "Snape, Yaxley, you are very nearly late." He told the two as they appeared in the doorway and then separated to their seats. "You have news, I take it?"

"My Lord, the Order intends to move Potter on Saturday next."

"I see." Voldemort said.

"My Lord," Yaxley cleared his throat. "I have heard differently. A contact in the Auror office told me he would not be moved until the 30th, the day before his birthday."

"This is a false trail." Snape said. "The Auror office no longer has any say in Potter's security. The Order believes that the Ministry has been infiltrated at the highest levels."

"The Order's got that one right, eh?" One of the Death Eaters said laughing maliciously. Others followed his lead. Voldemort didn't stop them. He let them have their laugh.

"Where are they going with the boy?" He asked Severus.

"To the house of one of the Order, I have heard every possible precaution and spell has been cast to ensure his protection once he is there. That being said, once he is there we will not be able to lay hands on the boy."

"What say you, Pius?" He asked one of the men.

"One hears many things, my Lord, and many things may be said for or against."

He looked at the man before scoffing. "The Ministry will not be ours before Saturday next. We must try for the Potter boy when he leaves his childhood home."

"My Lord," Bellatrix said leaning forward eagerly. "I would like to kill the boy, please."

"Bellatrix, your blood lust is inspirational, but I must be the one to kill the boy." He told her. "It must be me."

She slid back into her position looking down at the table.

"That being said, my wand cannot touch Potter. I must have one of yours…" he stood. "Come now, who will lend me their wand?" He paused as he walked down behind the chairs, "Lucius?"

"My Lord?" he asked looking up.

"Your wand, Lucius."

"My wand?" he paused only a moment before drawing it out and Voldemort took it before snapping off the snake head and handing it back to him.

"Do I detect elm?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"And the core?"

"Drag—" he cleared his throat. "Dragon Heartstring, my Lord."

"Why, Lucius? You seem less than happy to lend me your wand…" he said. "Your entire family seems less than happy of late. Does my presence displease you?"

"Yes." Kaeli said.

Lucius looked aghast at the girl. "Kaeli!" he hissed.

Voldemort however laughed. "At least, Lucius, she is honest."

"No, my Lord, we are not displeased by your presence! We are honored! So very honored to have you here!"

"My Lord," Bellatrix said. "There is no higher pleasure for me and my family to have you here!"

"No higher pleasure, Bellatrix? That is high praise from you, I am sure, especially considering the happy event of your family taking place this week."

"My Lord?" Bellatrix asked confused.

"I am talking about your niece. Didn't she get married to the werewolf Lupin?"

Bellatrix's cheeks were pink with rage as the jeers from around the table were directed straight at them. "She is no relation of mine, my Lord! I have never seen the child! We have not seen our disgraced sister since she ran away to marry a Mudblood!"

"Enough!" Voldemort said sending silence across the table. "Many of the old families have had to prune off branches. I am sure this is a branch you could cull, Bellatrix."

"With a will, my Lord! The first chance I get!"

"If I didn't already have a mission for you, Bellatrix."

"Whatever it is, my Lord, I will do it!" She told him, "Gladly."

"We shall see," he said before turning to Severus who had been characteristically quiet. "Do you recognize our guest, Severus?"

The dark man didn't say a word, but his eyes glanced over at the woman who was now coming closer to them hovering over the table. "This is Miss Charity Burbage, she taught Muggle Studies at Hogwarts until recently. It is Miss Burbage's belief that Muggles are not so different than us, that we should mate with them." He tuned out the comments and calls of those up and down the table.

The woman was whimpering, "Severus, please, help me…" she pleaded. "Please, Severus, we're friends." She said staring right at him. Snape, for his part, remained impassive.

"If you're going to kill her, do it." Kaeli stood. "Do not torture her with hope that you will let her go."

"Avada Kedavra!" Voldemort yelled and then turned on Kaeli. He was next to her in a moment face to face. "You are very lucky, girl, that I have plans for you, or you would be dead right here! It is only through my graces that you stand here at all!"

"No, it's because your precious Death Eaters let my mother slip through their fingers." She told him. "They did not kill all of us when they had the chance."

He put his hand on her throat. "I can kill you any time, girl!" He yelled. While he was doing this the other Death Eaters weren't paying attention to him, they couldn't tear their eyes aware from the snake eating the former Muggle Studies teacher.

She just stared at him dead in the eye. "Then do it." She whispered.

He took his hand away and back handed her sending her to the floor. "Do not tempt me." He told her.

Kaeli did not fear death and she knew she shouldn't have taunted him. Maybe she was reckless like Dean said before he left…He couldn't live here anymore, not even for her. Kaeli had told him to go…he had to go. Voldemort wouldn't suffer him the same way he did her. She felt Narcissa and Draco on either side helping her to her feet and out of the room.

"Not you, Bellatrix." Voldemort said as the others fled the room. She had been about to stand up, but sat back down in a hurry. He waited until the others were out of the room. "You, Bellatrix, are what is available to me. And I will use whatever I can to secure my place."

"My Lord?" she asked him uncertainly, not sure what he was talking about.

"You, Bellatrix, are a Black."

"Yes, my Lord," she nodded.

"You know the prophecy of your cousin, don't you? About me and Erin Black?"

"Yes, my Lord, I know the prophecy…"

"It has come to my attention, Bellatrix, that if I cannot have Erin Black…then perhaps I can make the prophecy come about in another way. You, Bella…" he said softly leaning over her. "You, Bella, shall bear me a child."

"Oh, my Lord, I…yes, I am honored. I am so honored to be chosen—" He pulled her roughly to him kissing her.

Narcissa stood outside the room trembling with fear, with rage, and tried desperately to push down her feelings, push down everything. She knew that she had to stop this. She could not allow Bella to bear his child.


	2. Chapter 2

The black-haired girl stood on the widows' walk of the great manor house looking out over the land watching the sun setting in the distance. She felt arms slide around her and she leaned back against her father. "They might not all come back." She whispered.

"They know the danger. They know they might not come back. They volunteered anyway. Are you going to come down and say good-bye to everyone?" She looked up and nodded. "Do you have to go?"

"I promised Lily and James that I would watch over him, that I would protect him. And that's what I'll do."

They made their way down to the entrance hall of the grand estate. A woman that looked like Bellatrix was making sure everyone had everything they needed. The resemblance was remarkable, except for the kind eyes and her hair was wavy and soft, her clothing leading more towards the comfortable. She smiled at Erin and Sirius before she hugged her cousin. "Come back to us, won't you?"

"I'll do my very best," he agreed hugging her back and then the sandy haired man next to her. "Ted, don't let her boss you around, you hear?"

"A woman like that? I'll gladly do anything she says," he chuckled.

"Except pick up his socks," Tonks said holding onto Remus for a few more moments. "Be careful." She told him. "And you too." She hugged Sirius.

Remus hugged Erin and Mira and Fred hurried in. "Sorry, thought one of the spells looked weak." Fred said, "Ready to go?"

Remus checked the time. "It's time. We don't want Mad-Eye coming down on us for being late."

More hugs and promises to be careful and stay safe until Remus, Sirius, Fred, and Mira left the house and got past the barrier before disapparating. Tonks was trying to stay strong as her father held her in his arms. Andromeda looked up to the staircase and saw Regulus standing there. He looked just as sad and worried as they were. His eyes met his cousin's before he disappeared into the house. Erin headed back up to the widows' walk. It would be hours before they would see the others…if they saw the others, but Erin had to be there, had to watch. Somewhere out in the darkening world Harry was in an empty home that had once been "home". The Dursley's would have left already with Dedalus and Hestia would be with them. They would Disapparate at the same moment as Harry left Privet Drive breaking the protection charm. And then…and then…

Erin's scream caused everyone in the house to rush up to the widows' walk. Regulus was there first clutching her shoulders knowing what this was and his face was white. "Erin! What do you see?" He demanded. "Erin!"

"They know! They know! He knows! He knows they're moving him tonight! They're waiting for them! They're going to kill them! They're going to die!"

Ted grabbed Tonks as she tried to run down the stairs. "No! We can't do anything for them now!" He told her as she struggled against him.

"I can't lose my husband!"

"We can't do anything! If they know, they know! They've all been warned of this possibility! They know it could be a trap!"


	3. Chapter 3

The Order members assigned to Harry's protection detail arrived on Privet Drive with different magical transportation. Sirius and Remus were on the back of his motorcycle, Mira in the side car. Fred was next to them on a broomstick. Bill, Fleur, Donovan, and George had arrived on thestrals. The rest were on brooms, except Hermione, who had shown up on a Vespa that looked like it had been magically altered. She pushed a pair of goggles up on her head and unbuttoned her jean jacket, before following the other's inside.

Most everyone hugged and greeted Harry. He was surprised to find Dean Monson there. "Hey, good to see you," he told him. "I thought you were with the Malfoy's."

Dean nodded, "It was not safe for me there."

"He's been staying with us." Ron said. "He walked from Wiltshire to Ottery St. Catchpole, can you believe it?"

"I did not have a picture of where I was going." Dean said. "Or I would have Apparated there."

"Hey, at least you go there safely." Harry nodded. "Kingsley, I thought you were protecting the Prime Minister."

"You are more important." Kingsley told him smiling and giving him a pat on the back.

"Sirius, how's Erin?"

"She's fine, you'll see her soon enough. And we have a nice surprise for you, Remus and Tonks—"

"Enough with the lollygagging!" Mad-Eye interrupted clumping into the room. "We have little time as it is. Can't spend it jawing!"

"Oh, Mad-Eye, you've got to stop holding it in." Sirius said. "Tell us what you really think."

Mad-Eye fixed Sirius with a stare that would make a less sane man fear for his life. As it was Sirius just grinned and blew him a kiss. "Wait a minute," Harry said looking around. There were 15 people there. "Why are there so many of you?"

"Change of plans," Mad-Eye told him he dropped some sacks in front of Harry. "Pius Thickness has gone over to the Death Eaters, voluntarily from what I've been told, but we needed to go to Plan B."

"Plan B? You never mentioned a Plan B when we talked!" Harry said indignantly. "Whose idea was this?"

Mad-Eye looked at Sirius. Harry realized everyone else was looking at Sirius as well. "For once, it was NOT my idea." He told them. "It was Andromeda's."

"And we'll not be believing that codswallop," Mad-Eye said. "Anyway Pius has made it so the house cannot be connected to the Floo Network, place or use a Portkey, or Apparate in or out. That means the only option available is waiting outside for us. A bit pointless to do that since your mother's charm already stops anything or anyone doing that."

"He means to keep me a prisoner here until the charm breaks." Harry said.

"He tried." Donovan said from his spot in the back.

"But we're smarter than him." Hagrid said grinning.

"And since you've still got the trace on yeh, any magic done here will be detectable."

"So, what are we doing?" Harry asked. "All of you just converging around me to get me there? I think that will be pretty noticeable."

"The charm will break soon, as soon as your aunt and uncle Apparate with Dedalus and Hestia and as soon as you leave. And then you're fair game." Moody said ignoring him. "So, what we have to do is we'll all get on the transportation outside and head for different homes in the Order that have been protected: my house, Molly's Auntie Muriels, the Burrow…you get the idea..."

"Yeah," Harry said spotting a huge hole in this plan.

"You'll be going to Tonks' parents' place. Erin is there waiting for you."

"But Mad-Eye, if anyone is watching they're going to spot us pretty quickly…16 of us heading for Tonks'…"

"Ah, but we won't all be going there…"

"Well, then I'm going to be pretty easy to spot…I mean the decoys will only last for a second or two…"

"No, because there will be 8 Potter's moving through the sky tonight." Moody told him.

Harry looked at him a moment and then, "No. No way, I'm not letting anyone do that for me."

"I told you he'd take it this well." Hermione said.

"He's taking it better than I thought he would." Ron said.

"I'm not letting 7 people risk their lives for me—"

"Yeah, cuz it's the first time we've ever done that." Ron said.

"This is different!" Harry argued. "It's pretending to be me."

"Yeah, what if we were stuck being a specky, scrawny gits forever!" George said grinning.

"Might get a chance with Erin," Fred pointed out to him.

"You're right, Harry, give me the hair," George said pretending to try to yank it from Harry's head.

"Get off!" Harry said. "Be serious for once. You can't do it if I don't cooperate."

"Yeah, that plan's scuppered," Fred said.

"It's not like 15 people here can't get the hair from you," George pointed out.

"15 against one bloke who can't use magic," Fred said shaking his head. "We've no chance."

"Time's of the essence, the hairs, Harry." Moody said.

"No, not going to happen." Harry told him.

"Granger, as we discussed." Moody told her.

Hermione ripped some hair off of Harry's head. "Oh! Hermione!"

"I have permission."

"From who?" He asked her.

"Your guardian."

"Sirius!" Harry complained.

"She wanted permission from someone with authority over you," he said shrugging.

"It was either me or Erin and frankly Erin's not an adult yet…"

"They forgot to ask an adult that was sane." Remus said rolling his eyes.

"Okay, everyone who's to become Potter front and center," Moody said with the flask. Fred and George stood there along with Mira, Fleur, Dean, Hermione, and Ron. "Fair warning, it tastes like goblin piss."

"Had a bit of experience with that have you, Mad-Eye?" George asked. He was met with a glare, "Just trying to diffuse the tension." They all took swigs of the potion and started changing into Harry. No one actually wanted to watch, but it wasn't something you could look away from either.

"All right, all of yeh!" Moody said. "Strip and put on these clothes." He told them dumping out a sack.

"Be warned Harry has a tattoo." Hermione told all of them.

"Really, Harry?" Sirius asked. He actually grabbed Mira to look at her back because it was there. "Awww, that's sweet!"

Harry had a lightning bolt there with Erin's name in it and Eternal Love written below it. "You were there when I got it," the real Harry said pulling a shirt on over his head. "Remember?"

"I was half-crocked most of my years at Hogwarts." He told him.

"He was." Remus said shaking his head. "How did you manage 6 OWL's?"

He shrugged. "I don't remember taking my OWL's."

"Does anyone mind respecting my privacy?" Harry asked a little disgruntled with how all of them were stripping and pulling on clothes like it was nothing.

"We on a schedule," Mad-Eye said. "Everyone ready? Good. The pairs will be as follows. Monson will be with me, George with Remus, Hermione with Kingsley, Fleur with Bill, Ron, you'll be with Donovan, Fred with Arthur, and Mira with Sirius."

"Yeh'll be with me, Harry," Hagrid said proudly. "Figured it only proper seeing as I brought you here when you was just a little tiny thing that I should be the one to take you away too."

Harry smiled up at Hagrid.

They headed outside. Bill and Fleur were on a thestrals as well as Sirius and Mira. Kingsley and Hermione got on the Vespa's and Hermione (the only Harry without glasses) pulled down the goggles she was wearing looking determined. She took Kingsley's hand and a look passed between them. They both nodded. The rest were on brooms while Harry and Hagrid took the motorcycle and sidecar. They were ready to go. "All right," Moody said. "You all know where yer goin'. Stick to the plan, if yeh can. You all know what to do. On my count," he told them. "Three, two, one!"

They were all off into the air or along the ground in the case of Hermione and Kingsley. Out of nowhere, out of nothing, the Death Eaters were on them. At least thirty were surrounding them and then several broke off seeing Hermione and Kingsley on the Vespa's roaring away from the scene. They followed to the two figures: Hermione and Kingsley dodging spells and throwing some back as they maneuvered through cars heading towards the motorway. Up in the air Hagrid had turned him and Harry away from the battle towards Andromeda's. The rest were left to fight them off and hold them off giving Harry enough time to get away.

Dean barely stayed on his broom when Mad-Eye was blasted off. Dean dove down trying to get to him in time, but he landed, not moving. Dean felt a spell hit his back and he fell off his own broom. He felt his body land, he couldn't move. He looked up seeing the Death Eaters descending on him until he felt something small land on his chest. A kitten, no bigger than his fist was there hissing at the Death Eaters. One raised his wand to hit the tiny thing when the hugest cat Dean had ever seen leapt over him roaring. It was huge and black and the Death Eaters tried to pull up short, but the cat leapt on them bringing them down, with one ferocious strike Dean could tell they were dead. He didn't know if he was next or what…until an older woman limped to him. "Stay still, dearie, stay still," she said. "I'm going to get you to safety."

"Who…?" He asked wincing in pain.

"I'm Mrs. Figg. A member of the Order," she told him. "Come, Bootsy," She said to the big cat. She scooped up the tiny one depositing it into a pocket and helped Dean up. The big cat stayed with them until they went into a small house across the street from Privet Drive, then the cat shrank to the size of a normal house cat worried about the young man.


	4. Chapter 4

Erin saw the figures on the horizon well after they should have been back. "I see them!" She yelled rushing down the stairs and outside. Tonks followed her out the door. Hagrid and Harry bounced and almost crashed somewhere out of sight. "Harry? Harry Potter? Is that you?" Ted called.

"They've crashed in the garden, Ted!" Andromeda called hurrying out and to the garden. "They're both unconscious! We need to get them into the house. Dora, no, dear, don't try to help, we've got it." She said to Tonks. "I've got the young man, Ted, Erin, get Hagrid."

Between them they got them into the house. Andromeda deposited Harry onto the couch and hurried to see to Hagrid. Erin and Ted saw to Harry's wounds. He wasn't as bad as Hagrid. Erin bound up Harry's ribs and arm before rushing to get a potion that would help them set. He was out of it, but he swallowed the potion. She saw a missing tooth and another appeared in its place. So many bruises and scratches were taken care of before his eyes opened again. "Hagrid?"

"He's all right, son," Ted told him. "I'm Ted, Dora's father."

"I'm here too, Harry," Tonks said in the background.

"Hagrid?"

"My wife's seeing to him," Ted told Harry. "He's in good hands. Erin, he's awake!"

"Harry?" Erin asked taking his hand. "How bad was it?"

"Did something go wrong with the bike?" Ted asked.

"No…Death Eaters…"

"Death Eaters?" not that Ted didn't think Erin was right…he hoped she wasn't though. "I thought they didn't know you were being moved tonight."

"They knew…they knew…" Harry said breathing heavily gripping Erin's hand. "He vanished…Voldemort he vanished."

"That will be the protective charms." Ted said. "At least we know they hold."

He tried to get up, "Have to see Hagrid…"

But he had no sooner touched the floor than Hagrid was squeezing through the door knocking things over. "Oh, blimey, Harry! I thought—I thought we was goners for sure. They was on us right from the start, Ted. And HE was there too…I saw 'im with my own eyes."

"YOU!" Harry suddenly yelled reaching for his wand eyes on Andromeda as she came through his wand. It wasn't in his pocket though.

"It's right here," Ted said tapping the side table where it was. "And that's my wife you're yelling at."

"Oh…then you're…?" Harry quieted a little perplexed.

"Dora's mother, yes," she said. "And, unfortunately, Bella and Cissy's sister."

"What time is it?" Hagrid asked wildly. "We're supposed to get to the Burrow from here."

"You have three minutes." Tonks said. "Let's go. I'll send word when we find out what's happened." She told her mother hugging and kissing her and then hugging her Dad. They went into the other room, Hagrid squeezing in again.

"Three, two, one…" Hagrid said as they touched the Portkey to send them to the Burrow."


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione could feel the Polyjuice potion wearing off as she wove through the traffic on the motorway, two Death Eaters behind them. They had briefly seen Hagrid and Harry, but they were too far away to help. Kingsley had stayed beside her through it all. Hermione knew he was a top member of the Order and now she knew why. They had both saved each other's lives several times in the last…how long had it been? She knew a regular scooter would have run out of petrol long before now. She moved with a speed that even Kingsley couldn't believe moving to stand on the bike and kick out in one fluid motion catching the Death Eater right in the face. He spun off as the girl moved with cat like precision flipping over on the handle bars and then spinning again facing backwards kicking the other Death Eater that had appeared in front of her before settling back down on the seat. All of that taking place in just a few seconds.

Kingsley heard Albus' voice in his head even as they were hurtling down the roads at breakneck speeds. "Do not underestimate, Miss Granger, there is more to her than you see." He had been told she wasn't very athletic. Seeing her now, he was convinced she was secretly a gymnast. Even with the clothes on that were too big. The belt cinched itself on her tiny waist. She pulled off the shirt letting it go right in the face of the Death Eater that was catching up. Kingsley was about to blast him, but it wasn't needed. Hermione pointed to an off ramp and he nodded. They were almost there. Soon they would be safe.


	6. Chapter 6

Hagrid and Harry appeared at the Burrow with Erin and Tonks. Molly and Ginny hurried out. "Hagrid…where are the others?" Molly asked looking stricken.

"We don't know," he said. "I'm sorry, Molly, they were on us from the start. We barely got to Ted and Andromeda's."

"Well, come in, come in." She said trying to be brave. She had them all sit down and made sure they were all right. "Donovan and Ron were supposed to be here first." Molly told them. "But the Portkey came back without them."

Erin put an arm around Ginny. She was shaking a little trying not to cry. "And then Dad and Fred, but they didn't come either."

"George and Lupin should be here soon, they'd be after you…" She said before they heard the sound of others coming through the barrier. They all hurried out again to see Remus there with George carrying him along, "Oh, my poor boy!" Molly said. She helped Remus get him inside and onto the sofa. He was unconscious and Ginny screamed when his head turned and they could see in the light that his ear was gone.

Lupin turned around pinning Harry to the wall. "Oi! Lupin, let him go!" Hagrid said.

"What are you doing?" Ginny asked frightened as a baby began to cry. She hurried passed them to get to her baby.

"What creature was in the corner of my office the first time Harry Potter was in my office at Hogwarts?" Lupin asked.

"Are you mad?" Harry asked him.

"What creature?" He yelled.

"A…a grindylow," He said.

Lupin let him go. "We were betrayed, they knew we were moving him tonight." He looked around. "Where are the others?"

"They missed their Portkeys." Molly told him as they heard the sound of others coming in.

They hurried out to see Kingsley and Hermione there. They should have been the last ones back. Remus and Kingsley had their wands on each other. "The last words Albus Dumbledore spoke to the pair of us." Kingsley said.

Remus put his wand down. "Harry is the best hope we have. Trust him."

"Is everyone else back?"

"No, it's just us…and Harry. George lost an ear."

"No one?" Hermione asked.

"No one else." Remus said. "What happened to you two?"

"Had five on us at the beginning," Kingsley told him. "I injured two, might've killed one. Hermione dispatched the other two. Maybe killed, maybe not."

"Hermione?" Remus looked at the girl.

"She's better than a Seeker on a broom when she's on that bike." Kingsley told him. "Never saw the like."

"She's a cat, what do you expect?" Erin asked them. "There's more to her than you see."

Kingsley and Remus both turned to look at her surprised. "What did you say?" Remus asked her.

"I said there's more to her than you see."

They looked at each other surprised since Dumbledore told them those same words the last time they saw him.

Just then Arthur and Fred appeared. "Where is he?" He yelled running for the house. Kingsley tried to stop him, but he pushed him off. "I'll prove who I am after I see my son!" He yelled.

Molly and Ginny were both surprised to see him like that. Arthur and Fred hurried to the couch both pale and scared. "He's alive," Molly told them. "He'll be all right, but he'll never have his ear again."

Erin, Harry, Hermione, Remus and Kingsley left the room and went back outside hearing Fred yelling at George about some joke he had made. "Who's still left?" Harry asked taking a seat and leaning against Erin. He was still woozy.

"Mad-Eye and Monson," Kingsley said. "You don't think it was Monson, do you?"

"No." Erin said shaking her head. "It was not Dean. Believe me, he is not a Death Eater. He would never sell us out."

"Not even for his sister?"

"No," Erin told him. "Not even for his sister. He's prepared to die for this. Truly die for the cause. Just like his great grandfather did and the rest of his family."

"Bill and Fleur," Remus said continuing.

"Ron and Donovan," Kingsley nodded.

"Sirius and Mira," Remus bit his lip.

"There!" Hermione pointed to the sky. A single broom was making its way towards them. Everyone's hearts started beating hard as the broom bucked, it looked like something was draped over it and the one flying was having a hard time controlling the broom. It came so slowly and they couldn't see who and it was, they just got to the ring of light around the Burrow when the flyer suddenly leaned to the side and they could see two of them just slide off the broom to the ground. The one that had been draped over the broom was Donovan. He just lay there unconscious. Ron was barely conscious. "RON!" Hermione yelled hurrying to him.

Ginny was out in a moment and screamed again. Fred was there holding onto her as Molly and Arthur hurried over with Remus and Kingsley. "It didn't work…" Ron got out barely.

"What? What didn't work?" Hermione asked him.

"The shields…the pro-protection…Auntie Muriel…"

"What? Is she all right?" Molly asked him pale.

"She…she…held them off us…she…she…killed all three…" His eyes closed then.

"Ron? Ron!" Molly called.

"He's okay," Hermione said. "He just passed out."

"Get them in the house," Arthur said, "Quickly."

They were about to go when they saw the two thestrals coming: Bill and Fleur and Sirius and Mira. They all looked fine, thank goodness. Fred hurried out to grab Mira, but Kingsley stopped them. They were all asked questions, which they answered correctly and Fred was finally able to hug his wife. "George was hurt," he told her.

"It's okay," she told him. "We'll get through it."

They were all heading inside hugging and greeting. "Mad-Eye's dead." Bill told them. "Monson tried to stop it…but we don't know if he's alive or not either. They both fell from their brooms."

"You-Know-Who acted just like Mad-Eye thought he would…" Donovan said. They all turned surprised he was up. "He figured Harry would be with the best Aurors. Went after Mad-Eye first…Sirius and I were next…since it was his god-father…and then they realized Kingsley and Hermione had gone on the ground.

"Someone betrayed us, that much is clear." Lupin said. "We have to go though."

"I'll come," Bill said.

"Where are you going?" Tonks and Fleur asked at the same time.

"To get Mad-Eyes' body," Remus said. "And see what happened to the Monson boy."

Erin scowled at his tone. "I told you once, Remus, if I have to say it again—"

Remus looked at her. "You are a child, Erin, there are some things you can't and don't understand. Monson was with the Malfoy's for years—"

"Narcissa and Draco changed sides!" Erin yelled at him. He blinked at her surprised. "That's right. Narcissa and Draco are on our side. They gave us all the information they had and didn't want one thing in return. No information from our side. They just give us information from them. Draco warned us about the Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement and that Death Eaters would attack the school. We were there to meet him and probably saved a ton of lives because of it. Draco and Kaeli and Narcissa are still there in the midst of the enemy. If Voldemort were to find out they would all be dead. Dean left the Malfoy's because he knew Voldemort would kill him soon. He suffers Kaeli because he doesn't think she can do anything to him. Do not judge him, when you don't know what he's been through, what our own family still goes through at the hands of that madman! Now you go and bring them both home, but I don't want to hear that tone in your voice again!" She said before slapping him right across the face and then hurrying out the room.

Sirius moved going after her and Harry too. Sirius looked at him. "You should listen to her, Moony. She's usually right."


	7. Chapter 7

They brought Dean back that night. He was still in pretty bad shape, but no worse than the others. He had a tiny black kitten with him that was suspicious of almost everyone that came near the young man. Crookshanks was sniffing at it as Molly was thinking of how to move it without hurting the poor thing. Erin came in and paused. "Why did they bring back a Nundu kitten?"

Molly's eyes went wide. "That's what it is?"

"Yeah," Erin said looking it over. The kitten hissed at her. "Hermione!" she called.

The girl hurried in. "What is it? What's wrong?" Erin pointed at the kitten. "Oh…"

"Yeah, I'm thinking you might be the only one that will be allowed near him right now."

Hermione went over and let the kitten smell her. After a moment it moved over onto the bedside table in the tiny room and let her touch him. Hermione took the things from Molly and changed Dean's bandages. Mrs. Figg had done a great job taking care of him and cleaning him up before they got there.


	8. Chapter 8

The next week they got ready for the wedding. Molly keeping the kids a part as much as possible and trying to wheedle information out of Harry and the rest about why they weren't going back to school and what they were going to do. Sirius, who was coming over every morning with Erin, asked Molly very politely to not overwork Erin and leave her alone a bit on the interrogations because she wasn't sleeping well lately. She was having visions more and more often lately, usually at night, but sometimes during the day. Whoever was with her took to writing them down. At night after her dream visions Erin was writing them down herself, often she couldn't get back to sleep afterward. Everyone was pretty worried about her.

On the morning of Harry's birthday Sirius and Erin were already at the Weasley's and Molly was feeding them breakfast along with Bill and Monsieur Delacour, when Harry came downstairs. "Don't look at me like that!" Ron said following him. "Believe me, the book works. You just have to try it."

"Thanks for the gift, Ron, I'm just not sure I need it."

"What did he give you?" Erin asked as she sipped on her coffee.

"A book about how to deal with witches."

"Hmm, well, it may give you some pointers dealing with all those witches that want you."

"I don't want to talk about that." Harry said sitting down next to her and giving her a hug and kiss on the cheek. He eyed the pile of presents not sure he actually wanted to open them.

"Arthur said to tell you a happy seventeenth, Harry," Molly told him getting him some breakfast. "That's our gift up on top." She told him.

Harry took the gift she indicated and opened it finding a gold watch with stars moving around the face instead of hands.

"It's tradition to give wizards a watch for their seventeenth," Molly told him anxiously. "This one isn't new like Ron's, it was my brother Fabian's. He wasn't too careful with his things, it's dented a little on the back, but—"

Harry got up and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, this really means a lot," he told her. "I know Fabian was one of the greatest wizards of our age. I'm honored you would think of me and give this to me."

Molly wiped away tears and shooed him off. Harry grinned a little knowing she was touched by his words as he sat down again. The rest of the presents included a new magical razor from Bill and Fleur, expensive French chocolates from the Delacour's, a sneakoscope from Hermione, an enormous box of the latest Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes from Fred and George, a book of Advanced Dueling Spells from Mira, a protective charm from Donovan and Ginny that he could wear on his wrist (Hermione had been very impressed, those weren't easy to come by), Tonks and Remus had gotten him a set of dragon skin boots that would mold to his feet to fit him perfectly, from Andromeda and Ted he got a stone that gave light only to the user and was impossible to lose, and Sirius and Erin had gotten him a dragon skin coat.

"What about yours?" Harry asked Erin. "I thought we were going to celebrate our birthdays together?"

"Well, since my birthday isn't until tomorrow we're waiting until tonight for my presents." Erin told him. "We'll still share a party and birthday cake."

"Okay, then, if you're sure." Harry said.

"Of course, now what did you get me for my birthday?" She asked him.

Harry went red. "Well, err…I guess…I'll tell you later."

That evening the birthday dinner was held out in the garden with all their friends and relatives. Dean Monson was still taking it a little easy, but he was almost back to full health, the little kitten beside him no matter where he went. There were two cakes, one was a humongous Golden Snitch type cake and the other in the shape of a stack of books with one open. Both Erin and Harry thought they were brilliant. Hagrid got there with Little Wulf and gave Harry a mole-skin pouch that could only be opened by the owner and gave Erin a set of plants and herbs in tiny magical pots. Hermione took the plants and Erin took Wulf.

They were all waiting for Arthur and he was pretty late. They were about to get started when a silver light streaked across the sky to the table and formed into a silver weasel. "Minister or Magic coming with me," It said in Arthur's voice.

"Oh, Merlin," Erin said sighing into the silence. "I hope he's not bringing the bloody git as well."

And then most of the guests scattered to leave before the Minister saw them there: most of them Erin's relatives. A moment later Arthur and Scrimgeour entered the garden. "I am sorry to intrude," Scrimgeour said. "As it appears I am gate crashing your party." He eyed the two cakes.

"That's okay," Erin said. "Would you like a piece of book cake?"

He paused. "I think we'd best get down to business before I contemplate pleasure." He told her. "I need to speak with you and Mr. Potter as well as Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Hermione Granger."

They all followed him inside the Burrow and settled down on the couch while he took the chair facing them. "I would like to question all of you separately—"

"Not gonna happen," Harry said. "You either talk to all of us or none of us."

"I am sure you are all aware that I am here about the Will of Albus Dumbledore."

"And I already have Fawkes." Erin said. "So why are you here?" The bird appeared on the arm of the couch.

"He has left all of you something," they looked surprised, "Other than the bird. And I'm guessing you didn't know that."

"No," Ron said. "Harry, I can see, but me and Hermione?"

"Yes, all of you, and—"

"Dumbledore died over a month ago, why has it taken so long?" Harry asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Hermione said scowling. "They wanted to examine whatever he's left us. You had no right to do that!"

"I have every right," Scrimgeour told her. "Under the Decree for Justifiable Confiscation—"

"That law was created to stop wizards from passing Dark Artifacts and the Ministry is supposed to have evidence that the deceased's possessions are illegal before seizing them. Are you telling me you though Dumbledore's possessions were cursed?"

"Are you planning on pursuing a career in Magical Law, Miss Granger?"

"No," Hermione said scoffing. "I plan on doing some good in this world."

"So, why are you giving us the things now?" Harry asked. "Couldn't find anything?"

"No," Erin snorted. "The 31 days are up, they can't keep objects longer unless they can prove they're cursed."

"Were you close to Dumbledore, Ronald?" Scrimgeour asked.

"Me? Not really, I mean I knew him and all, but it was Harry that…" He puttered off realizing the other three were looking at him.

Scrimgeour pounced though. "If you weren't close to Dumbledore why would he leave you something in his will?"

"I uh I'm not sure…"

"Don't be modest, Ron," Hermione said. "Dumbledore was very fond of you."

"Yes, he chose you to be a prefect over the other boys in our year." Erin said.

Scrimgeour drew out a piece of parchment and settled it in the air. "The Last Will and Testament of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore…let's see, ah yes, to Ronald Bilius Weasley, I leave my deluminator, in hopes that it will light the way when things seem most dark." He handed Ron the object.

Ron opened it and two nearby lights flew into it. "Wicked," Ron said as he opened it again and they flew back to the lights.

"Next to Hermione Jean Granger, I leave my copy of the Tales of Beedle the Bard, in hopes she will find them both entertaining and enlightening."

Hermione took the book curiously as she put it in her lap gazing at it. It was old and well-worn and the title was written in runes. A single tear fell from her eyes onto the book which she quickly wiped away.

"To Harry James Potter, I leave the first snitch he ever caught, as a reminder of the rewards of perseverance and skill."

Harry took the Snitch looking at it, Scrimgeour was watching him like a hawk, but nothing happened when he touched it.

"That all then?" Erin asked.

"Not quite, Dumbledore left Harry a second bequest. The sword of Godric Gryffindor. However the sword is a magical artifact and not Dumbledore's to give. As such it belongs—"

"To Harry. The sword belongs to Harry," Hermione said. "It came to him in the Chamber of Secrets."

"The sword may choose to reveal itself to any worthy Gryffindor, that does not make it that wizard's possession. However the sword has disappeared and we do not know where it is."

"If that's all, Minister," Erin said moving to get up.

"It is NOT all, Miss Black." He said rounding on her. "Dumbledore has made you his heir."

Erin stared at Scrimgeour. "Dumbledore m-made me his heir?" she asked him so surprised. She couldn't believe it.

"Yes, it's all here in his will. He has left certain things to other people, of course, and according to law his next of kin was notified. According to my assistant Mr.…" he paused looking for the name, "Aberforth Dumbledore was quite cordial and agreeable to you being made his heir. He was given what was left to him by his brother and said he knew you would be much happier with his brother's things than he would be."

Erin couldn't believe it at all. She had just expected Fawkes and that was it since she already knew that she had been chosen by the phoenix years before. The reddish orange bird was purring a little as he stood on the arm of the couch in the Weasley's living room.

"Dumbledore has left you his cottage near Hogsmeade and everything inside. It is magically guarded and spelled so only he could enter it and now you. I have here his journal, and his personal effects from Hogwarts, that were not to be given to others." He had those in a box and he handed over his journal, which was also magically locked.

"I am sure you tried to enter his home," Hermione said. "I'm sure the Ministry would want to know what was in there."

All of this was so overwhelming to Erin. She knew that Dumbledore had loved and cared about her as he had with all her friends and the other Order Members and his old friends, but why had he made her his heir? It should have been McGonagall or Moody…

As if on cue Scrimgeour continued. "I also have the Last Will and Testament of Alastor Moody."

"So, you admit he is dead." Harry said.

Scrimgeour scowled. "I want to get this done just as much as you do." He told them. "To Harry James Potter, I leave my Secrecy Sensor. To Ronald Bilius Weasley, I leave my cloak of invisibility. And to Erin Xenia Black, I leave my trunk." They could see many other names on the list including Tonks and Sirius. "And to Hermione Jean Granger, I leave my journal and these sage words: Just because you are paranoid doesn't mean someone isn't after you." He pulled out a seemingly normal looking Standard Book of Spells. "This is what we found in the place indicated…" He told her raising an eyebrow. Hermione took it though with a seemingly innocent look on her face.

Erin tried to keep a straight face, but snorted and couldn't stop the giggles. Hermione swatted her and gave her a look. Fortunately that was all Scrimgeour really had for them. They asked him why they hadn't tried to look at Moody's stuff, but he looked even surlier before telling them that Moody had bewitched everything so only the person he had indicated would be able to use or even touch it. And they knew better than to touch anything of Moody's. At least there was that.

After he left they went back out to the garden and discussed what Dumbledore and Moody had left them with the others. They had dinner and cake and Erin opened her presents.


	9. Chapter 9

That night those among them that were animagi went out for a run. During it Harry and Erin broke off together and ended up back at the tool shed. It was dark and quiet that time of night. "What's going on?" Erin asked as they turned back into their human selves. He took her hand nervously leading her inside. Near the back, behind a shelf Harry had laid out a mattress with a sleeping bag on it and some blankets with pillows. "Harry?" Erin asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well, we're both 17 now." He pointed out. It was after midnight.

"Yes, we are." She nodded. "But it still doesn't explain this."

He wiped his hands on his jeans nervously. "Well, I just thought, maybe…I mean we've been together for years now…and I was thinking maybe it was time…we don't know what the future will bring…and I just don't think there's any use waiting…if you agree, of course."

"If you're sure…"

"If you're sure," Harry said nodding.

Erin sat down on the mattress and took off her boots and socks. Harry pulled off his long sleeve shirt and then his t-shirt tossing them in a pile before slipping off his jeans. After seeing everyone else do that in his body it wasn't that big of a deal anymore, well, sort of, putting those with his trainers and socks with his other clothes before he settled down on the mattress. They both kind of looked at each other. He didn't know why this was so weird for them. They were like soul mates, right? "I think everyone's nervous their first time…especially if they plan it." Erin told him. "Remember Dad and Mom? They were getting into it the first time and he ran off after she told him she loved him. And that's Dad."

He nodded. "Yeah, Sirius isn't exactly the most modest guy in the world."

"Well, he does walk around in his underpants…" Erin said, "But isn't all embarrassed if he's seen without something on."

"I guess 12 years in Azkaban will do that to you."

"Yeah, you don't sweat the small stuff." She leaned in kissing him. He kissed her back, this part at least was familiar to him.


	10. Chapter 10

"This is exactly why I eloped," Fred said grumbling a little while Mira tied his tie for him.

"And why I had to get married as soon as possible." Ginny said holding Xenus on her hip.

"And that's exactly where Fleur and I are having a big wedding." Bill said. "So Mum doesn't kill the both of you for depriving her of planning a wedding."

"You're the oldest, Bill," Ron said. "You don't have a choice. The rest of us… however…"

"Are going to do exactly what your bride wants you to do." Mira said finishing up Fred's tie and helping George with his.

"So long as I just get told what to wear, where to stand, and what to say," Ron stated, "I don't care."

"Hurry up you lot," Hermione said. "The band and waiters have already arrived. The guests will be arriving soon."

"You're not even dressed." Ron said indignantly.

"I'm not the one greeting guests, Ronald Weasley," she said. "You are. And for your information, I'm all ready except putting on my dress. Be glad I'm wearing a robe—"

"He's not," Fred and George said at the same time.

Hermione continued ignoring them, "I think Erin's running around in a slip."

"Excuse me," George said. "I think I hear Mum calling."

Mira pulled him back by the tie. "I'm not finished with you yet."

When it came time to go down the boys all went, more or less willingly. Arthur handed them seating charts so they knew where everyone was to sit. Charlie and Donovan met them down there and all too soon an endless parade of women wearing god awful bird hats ascended on them.

Upstairs the girls were with Fleur, her mother, and sister, getting her ready for the wedding. Mira, Ginny, and Gabrielle were all bridesmaids. Erin and Hermione would go down with Mrs. Delacour to their seats just before everyone was ready. Erin was helping Fleur put her hair up on her head and put Auntie Muriel's tiara there so it was just so. "Thank you so much," Fleur told her. "I am all nerves today."

"It's your wedding," Erin said laughing. "You have a right to be nervous, walking down that aisle with your father, your stomach all in butterflies, seeing that wonderful face at the end of the aisle waiting just for you. You are truly a lucky girl to land Bill Weasley."

"I know!" She said beaming. "Everyone says he is lucky to marry me, but truly it is I that am lucky to have found him."

"He will be the best husband you could ever think to ask for." Erin assured her putting a charm on her hair to stay in place. When Fleur was ready they all assured her it would be fine and Erin and Hermione hurried down to take their seats with Mrs. Delacour. Charlie and Donovan deposited the girls in their seats before taking their places up near the front with Bill.

A few late comers were still taking their seats. Fred paused with Viktor Krum beside him, someone had taken his seat. Fred simply looked at the chart again. "Oh, there we are," he said leading Viktor over to sit with Erin and Sirius.

Erin smiled, "Viktor, lovely to see you again."

"And you," He smiled genuinely. He didn't often. Most of his smiles were for fans or pictures. Erin, though, was a good friend and wanted nothing from him like all the others.

"Have you met my father?"

"No, it is a pleasure, sir." He said shaking his hand.

"And you also. I've heard nothing but good things about you." Sirius told him.

"I am sure not all are true." He said blushing a little.

"He's too modest, but at least being famous hasn't gone to his head."

The music began to play. Ginny, Mira, and Gabrielle came down the aisle followed by Fleur and her father.

The party was in full swing afterward. Erin and Sirius were dancing with Luna and her father having a grand old time. It helped when both men were more than a little mad. Erin finally came to sit down at a table seeing Krum looking upset. "Are you all right?" She asked.

"That man you vere dancing vith, who is he?"

"That's Xenophilius Lovegood, he's Luna's father, the girl Dad's dancing with." She told him.

"You know this man Lovegood vell?"

"Not really, I've met him a few times, but that's it."

"If he was not a guest of Fleur's, I would duel him here and now, for vearing that filthy sign upon his chest."

"Sign? Do you mean the medallion around his neck?"

"Yes, Grindelvald. That is Grindelvald's sign."

"Grindelwald . . . the Dark wizard Dumbledore defeated?"

"Exactly."

Krum's jaw muscles worked as if he were chewing, then he says, "Grindelvald killed many people my grandfather, for instance. Of course, he vos never poverful in this country, they said he feared Dumbledore—and rightly, seeing how he vos finished. But this"—he pointed a finger a Xenophilius—"this is his symbol, recognized it at vunce: Grindelvald carved it into a vall at Durmstrang ver he vos a pupil there. Some idiots copied it into their books and clothes, thinking to shock, make themselves impressive—until those of us who had lost family members to Grindelvald taught them better." Krum cracked his knuckles menacingly and glowered at Xenophilius.

"Oh, no!" Erin said. "Grindelwald may have used the sign, but it wasn't his." She told Viktor.

"Vot do you mean? I am not mistaken," said Krum told her. "I valked past that sign for several years, I know it vell."

"He may have used it, but it's actually a symbol for the Deathly Hallows."

"Explain," Viktor said.

"The Deathly Hallows…" she said trying to explain it. "It's a story about three brothers who cheated Death and Death gave them three gifts. The Elder Wand, which is said to be the most powerful wand in the world, the Resurrection Stone, which may bring the dead back to life, and the Cloak of Invisibility, which shrouds the wearer even from Death. The symbol is formed by all three," she said drawing it on the table cloth with her finger showing him the different symbols for the three. "All together they make one Master of Death, if someone had all three, they would become the Master of Death, many, many wizards have tried to track down all three over the years. I am sure Xenophilius is not wearing it because it was Grindelwald's, but because it's the symbol of the Deathly Hallows."

Viktor did seem a bit more calm now. "I still vant to hit him for vearing it."

"Oh, I'm sure you're not the only one," she patted his arm.

"Are they together now?" He asked about Hermione and Ron who were dancing on the floor.

"I don't think so, but I know they have feelings for each other…Ron just always messes it up."

He nodded. "This girl is very nice-looking," Krum said, nodding to Ginny.

"Yes, that's Ron's sister. She's married."

"Married? How old is she?"

"16." She admitted. "She's married to my cousin Donovan. They have a seventh month old son together."

"Vot," he said, draining his goblet, "is the point of being an international Quidditch player if all the good-looking girls are taken?"

Erin looked around. "I'm fairly certain I can get you a good looking girl. Give me five minutes." She told him patting his shoulder.

Erin had just gotten up when a something large and silver flew into the tent. Everyone was still and stared at it. Kingsley's voice came out of it as images played out in the air. "The Ministry has fallen. The Minister of Magic is dead. They are coming. They are coming."

Then it was chaos, screaming, disapparating, Death Eaters Apparating into the tent. Erin heard her name being screamed and she turned to see a Death Eater shooting a spell at her. In a split second Erin put up the shield and turned the spell right back at him without ever producing a wand or speaking a word. She turned again looking desperately for Harry. He was on the other side of the tent. "GO! GO!" Remus yelled at him sending him to Hermione and Ron. They were all looking for her and then Erin was grabbed from behind. Her attention turned towards the Death Eater and then Viktor who had blasted him off. By the time Erin looked back the three were gone.

"Erin!" Sirius was at her side and saw Viktor. "We have to get her out of here."

Viktor nodded taking her arm, Sirius had another. Five Death Eaters were in front of them and then a moment later they were standing in a tiny apartment covered in dust. "Ver? Ver are ve?"

"We're in Haverstown…" Sirius said. "A Wizarding town destroyed in the last war. This was the apartment Erin's Mum and I lived in after we married and until I was sent to Azkaban."


	11. Chapter 11

Harry, Hermione, and Ron had just finished searching Regulus' room, but hadn't been able to find the real locket. It looked like someone had been there before them though searching. They didn't know who or what, but they went down to the kitchen to talk about it. The house was still well stocked with food, even though Erin and Sirius had moved in with Andromeda at the end of the last school year. Harry paused hearing something on the stairs and opened it grabbing Kreacher. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be at Andromeda's aren't you?"

"Kreacher is looking over the house while his mistress and masters are away." He said slowly.

"Kreacher," Harry said. "You know what this is?" He held out the locket.

Kreacher didn't like seeing it, but Harry knew the elf had gotten passed a lake of inferii, he wasn't as feeble as all that. "That's Master Regulus' locket."

"But there were two of them, weren't there? Where's the other one?"

"Mundungus Fletcher came in the night after my mistress and masters left. He stole many things."

Harry swore under his breath. Mundungus was to have been with them when they left Privet Drive, Dean had come at the last minute when Mundungus turned coward. "Are you sure he took it?"

"No…" Kreacher said thinking about it. "Master Regulus may have the locket."

"What, with him, in his grave?" Ron asked looking disgusted. "Harry, I am not digging up graves, you can forget it."

"Master Regulus is not dead." Kreacher said giving Ron a withering look.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked him. "He died in the last war with Voldemort."

"No, Master Regulus was saved from death and transformed into a cat. He would get his body back when he saved a child from the dark. His child."

"Mira," Harry said. "Are you saying that white cat he has is REALLY Regulus Black?"

"He is no longer a cat."

"Will he come and talk to us?"

"I will see." Kreacher said disappearing from the room.

* * *

It was an hour later when Kreacher returned with the dark haired young man. He looked like he was only a few years older than they were. He didn't look happy to be there though. "I never wanted to set foot back in these walls," he told Harry ignoring the other two. "This better be important."

Harry held up the fake locket. "You tell me."

"You are going after the Horcruxes then, you've figured it out." He snorted. "Good for you."

"Where's the real one, Regulus?" Harry asked him.

"It was here, last I knew. Kreacher? Where's the locket?"

"Mundungus took many things when Master Sirius and Mistress Erin left the home."

"Find him," Regulus told him. Kreacher grinned slyly and disappeared.


	12. Chapter 12

Erin sat in the newly cleaned little house. Viktor had taken up residence across the hall and they set up protection charms all around the area, they doubted anyone would come here though. Erin thought it was sad that it hadn't been taken over again after Voldemort's downfall. The moment she saw this house she ached. She had tried to buy it once, but was told that the area was a dead zone to the Ministry, no one came here. This was the house she was born in though, the home she lived with her parents until Xenia had given her to Lily to keep safe.

She had Dumbledore's diary open. She had found out many things about him that she never knew. Mostly the truth, since she had known rumors and hearsay before this and from her research. It was nice knowing the truth though. He had just been a kid though when he made most of the mistakes he had made. She sighed. "Move ahead to July 1980." She told the book and immediately the pages fanned and fell open to the dates. It was such a small book and she loved that he could fit his entire life into it because of magical enhancing spells. She looked through the entries and then found.

_**"July 28, 1980-And so it begins. I have felt the stirrings since Lily and Xenia announced they were pregnant. She comes, the Woman Child is about to be born. I have tried to deny it, and may yet try to convince myself that this little girl that Xenia bears will not be that prophesied child. The time is soon though when both girls have their children. I have even tried to convince myself that their visit years ago was just a dream. That Tom Riddle may yet come to his senses and stop this mindless killing and that what I gleaned from their minds was wrong, it could still be stopped. That Lily and James will not be lost to us, that Harry and Erin won't know a world without their parents. Even with the prophecy that Sibyll had while I interviewed her, it all points to that future coming to pass. Then I must make the decisions I don't want to make. That even when he is defeated he will return. And when that happens I will need to make sure she is prepared…"**_

"Wait a minute," Erin said surprised. "She? She is prepared? What are you talking about?" She asked the diary, not that it would answer her…and then the diary ruffled its pages again opening to one of the last entries.

_**"June 3, 1997-I hope she can forgive me for what I have done. Grooming her to take over for me when I die. It won't be long now, I feel the curse spreading from my hand. There is no hope for me and I only hope Severus will be able to complete this task and that the Malfoy boy or the Zabini boy won't have to do this terrible thing that Tom has set them to. I knew from the moment she entered Hogwarts that I had to mold her and guide her in her journey to take over where I left off. Erin is Harry's only hope to defeat Tom once and for all. They both have their parts to play. Harry must be the one to go after the Horcruxes and destroy them. Erin must take over for me. She must be ready."**_

Erin let out a strangled, angry yell. A moment later Sirius was in the kitchen. "Erin, love, what's wrong?" He asked wide-eyed.

"Did you know about this?" She demanded showing him the entry. "Did you know Dumbledore was grooming me, without my knowledge, to take over for him?"

Sirius was quiet for a moment choosing his words wisely lest she lash out at him. "No, I knew he had taken a great interest in your life and he talked about you quite a bit, but I did not know he was grooming you for anything."

"We're going to see him, right now." She said.

"Going where?"

"To his cottage outside Hogsmeade, he has a portrait there and he'd better be there when we get there. Get Viktor."

* * *

Erin opened the door to the cabin incensed and saw Dumbledore's portrait over the fireplace in there. "You son of a bitch!" she spat out.

"Good evening, Erin," Dumbledore said from his portrait smiling. "Are you doing well?"

"You know very well, I'm not doing well. I'm your heir? And you've been grooming me to take over for you? Take over for what?"

"As the Head of the Order of the Phoenix," he told her as her face went white. "I'm sorry I did not tell you of my plans. You were the one that I chose, Alastor knew this. He was planning on making you the leader on your 17th birthday."

"But why? I'm not anything! There are so many others that are more qualified—"

"You've faced and survived Voldemort more times than any other member, with the exception of Harry. You've fought beside him all these years. You were never meant to go with him on this journey for the Horcruxes. You were meant to lead what's left, not of the Order, but of the Resistance. You can draw them to you. They will fight for you when they never would have fought for me. I've done all I can in uniting your army. Now, it's up to you, Erin. Harry has his work and you have yours. Two sides of the same coin. Use what you've been given."

"I-I…"

"Erin," he said softly. "If you can do this, you can do anything."

She started looking around her surprised. The place was filled with magical equipment to keep in touch with others, to keep track of your enemies, anything and everything she would need to lead the resistance. "I can't, I-I-I…"

"You can," he told her sternly. "You've been able to do anything you've put your mind to."

"That was school and following Harry, that's easy, this is…"

"Real life?" he asked smiling a little. "Erin, it's all real life…all of it was. Take your place as the Leader of the Resistance, gather your army for when Harry needs you the most. He will stand against Voldemort and then…"

"And then I might have to face him alone…" she whispered.

"No, never alone," he told her. "You are the Woman Child and only you can bring them all together as your ancestor once did."

She just looked up at him. "I'm not Merlin and I'm not Lyana."

"No, but you are descended from long, long lines of powerful witches and wizards, that blood runs through your veins."

"You know as well as I do it doesn't matter who your family is when it comes to power." She told him.

"I know that," he said smiling and chuckling. "But it matters when we're talking about who will take their places. Only when the descendants of the Four take their true names can Voldemort be defeated. You know who they are, Erin. You know that only when they take their places will our world be safe again."

She nodded.


	13. Chapter 13

Kaeli came into Draco's room surprised to find both him and Narcissa in there. "Is something wrong?" She asked.

Narcissa nodded unable to say anything. Draco squeezed her hand. "She tried to stop it, but she wasn't able to. Aunt Bellatrix has been with Him. She's going to get pregnant."

"I guess I could kill her."

"Kaeli!" Narcissa said shocked.

"She killed my family, do you really think I care if she lives or not? Carrying His spawn?" She asked settling down in a chair by the fire. "I suffer your husband's life, Narcissa, even though he was there as well. He has been kind to me though and kind to my brother."

"The child is innocent, though." Narcissa said unable to reconcile it in her mind. "No child should suffer for their parents mistakes."

"Maybe soon we can live in that world. Now? No, we cannot. If I must, I will kill her, Narcissa, and I won't flinch at the fact she carrying an innocent child. It would be better for that child to die than to live with her as its mother or Him as its father."

* * *

Louisa's back hit the stone wall. "What do you want?" Kirley asked the men surrounding them. "We haven't done anything wrong! We're both purebloods! We can trace our lineage back over 20 generations on both sides! We just want to do our shopping and go home!"

"I am afraid that's not possible." A short dumpy witch in pink came around.

"Umbridge," Louisa said scowling.

"Hello, Miss McCormack. We've been waiting for you." She giggled.

"What do you want?" Kirley demanded.

"We're here to escort you to Hogwarts." She told Louisa. "Alone."

"No," Kirley said shaking his head. "I'm not leaving my sister alone with anyone."

"Runcorn, have you heard that the Weird Sisters are conspirators with Undesirable No. 1?" She asked the man with her.

"I think I may have heard that."

"No! No!" Louisa said coming forward. "I'll come with you, just leave him alone."

"Lou, no!" Kirley said.

"I'll be okay." She promised him. "I'll go with you," she told Umbridge. "But if anything happens to him or any of his friends you will regret it."

"We'll see about that." She said as two of the men pushed Kirley into the wall and two other took her arms pulling her off. She looked back at Kirley before they Disapparated.

Louisa found they were Hogsmeade. She felt slightly sick, but swallowed hard to keep everything down. They just pulled her through the town. She saw frightened faces peering out of windows, but no one interfered or asked what they were doing. They were on the road to Hogwarts now and a carriage pulled up.

"Oh good," Umbridge said getting in and Louisa was picked up and put in. She found two men sitting on either side of her.

"You must think I'm really dangerous." Louisa said. "Do you really need two men for me?"

Umbridge just smiled. "No, I don't, but I know how Ravenclaws are, dearie. Too smart for your own good."

They rode the rest of the way to Hogwarts in silence. Louisa had never been there when it was this deserted. McGonagall was waiting for them on the steps looking tired and weary. "I will take her from here, Dolores."

"Oh, really, Minerva?" Umbridge asked ready for a fight.

"Headmaster Snape asked me to meet Miss McCormack and bring her to him personally."

"Well, then, Headmaster Snape is in charge, isn't he?" She asked slightly sarcastic. "Nevertheless, I am sure you will deliver her safely." She and the men just knocked Louisa out of the carriage. She landed hard on the ground.

"That was hardly necessary!" McGonagall said helping the girl up. She watched them drive away in the carriage. "I am sorry about this." She told the girl. "Things are not the same at Hogwarts."

"I figured that out," Louisa said gingerly accepting the woman's help in standing. "Why does Professor Snape want to see me?" She asked.

"I'll let him explain." The older woman said helping Louisa into the castle and then up to the Hospital Wing. They could hear arguing coming from it. McGonagall opened the door and they found Madam Pomfrey yelling at a man and woman who were dumping her personal things into out in the main room.

She turned and saw McGonagall and Louisa there. "Severus, you cannot be serious! Louisa is just an apprentice! She should be apprenticing this year!"

Louisa hadn't even noticed the dark man standing near the wall, arms folded over his chest. "This is how things are." He told her. "Miss McCormack is now resident healer at Hogwarts."

Louisa's eyes opened wide and she couldn't catch her breath.


	14. Chapter 14

Harry and the rest had been at Grimmauld Place for a few days now waiting for Kreacher to return. They were surprised by someone walking in, especially when there had been Death Eaters watching the place. The apparition of Albus Dumbledore came up as it had when they appeared there a few days earlier. "It was not I that killed you, Albus," the cloaked figure said and the apparition disappeared.

"Show yourself," Harry said wand out, Hermione and Ron behind him, Regulus hidden just out of sight. Not many people knew he was alive and they wanted to keep it that way.

"It's me, Harry," Remus said removing the cloak.

"Prove it."

"My name is Remus John Lupin, werewolf, sometimes called Moony, one of the original creators of the Marauder's Map, married to Nympadora, known as Tonks and Dora, godfather to Erin, best friend to a crazy ex-convict who spends half his time as a dog, I taught you how to produce a Patronus, which takes the form of a stag."

Harry lowered his wand. "Not that it isn't good to see you, Remus, but what are you doing here?"

"I've been looking for you, not the only one that has, but come down to the kitchen, I need to tell you what's been going on."

Harry nodded, "Yeah, I want to know."

"Lupin," Remus always had a heart attack hearing that voice and whirled around quickly to face Regulus.

"What the—"

"It's okay, Remus," Harry said. "Erin's known he's been alive since the end of the school year."

"I know he's alive, Harry," Remus told him. "I was just surprised to see him here is all. What are you doing here, Regulus?"

"Helping Harry, as much as I can, he needed some help with a possession of mine."

"We'll explain later," Hermione said diplomatically and ushered them all downstairs to the kitchen. Hermione made a nice little fire in the fireplace and Lupin pulled some butterbeers from his cloak before Hermione could offer refreshment.

"I'd have been here sooner, but most of us connected with Harry are being followed by Death Eaters." He told them. "You came here after the wedding, I take it?"

"No, we went to Tottenham Court Road, first," Harry told him, "And had to dispatch some Death Eaters that found us.

"What?" Lupin spilled his butterbeer down the front of his robes and Hermione quickly cleaned him up.

After explaining Lupin looked stunned. "But how did they find you so quickly? It's impossible to track anyone who Apparates, unless you grab hold of them as they disappear."

"And it isn't likely they were just there on the off-chance, now is it." Harry said.

"Perhaps Harry still has the trace on him?" Hermione postulated.

"No," Lupin shook his head. "If that were true, they'd know Harry was here and more than two Death Eaters would be outside waiting for him. But how they could have known you were there? That's troubling."

"What happened after we left?" Harry asked unable to wait any longer. "Is Erin all right? What about Sirius? We don't know anything except Ron's dad sent us a message to tell us the family was safe."

"Kingsley saved us," Lupin said. "That much is certain. It could have been so much worse without his warning. Most of the wedding guests were able to Disapparate before they arrived.

"Were they Death Eaters or Ministry people?" interjected Hermione.

"Both, but now they're one and the same. There were perhaps a dozen of them. They didn't know you were there, Harry or Erin. They tried to torture your whereabouts from Scrimgeour, but he never broke, he died taking it with him."

"I didn't like him," Ron said, "but I have much more respect for him now."

"Scrimgeour only wanted what was best for our world," Lupin said sighing. "He was strong, and he didn't like that you didn't want to back the Ministry, Harry, but he respected your decision to do so. He died protecting you and Erin." There was a moment of silence before Lupin continued. "They searched the Burrow looking for you, but all they found was the ghoul, but didn't want to get to close since he looked pretty ill." Lupin chuckled a little. Ron looked awfully proud of himself for that one. "They interrogated the rest of us that hadn't left for hours trying to get information out of us on your whereabouts. It seemed most people hadn't even been aware you were at the wedding. Some had glimpsed Erin, but weren't sure if it was actually her or not since she had been in the company of Viktor Krum most of the time. While they were doing that more Death Eaters were forcing their way into every Order connected house in the country. No one was killed, but they burned down Dedalus' house, they used the Cruciatus Curse on Andromeda and Ted."

"I was gone at the time." Regulus said. "They told me to leave." It was imperative they keep his being alive a secret. The others were a little perturbed he hadn't told them that in the first place.

"They're all right. It will take a lot more to get to Andromeda and Ted." Remus assured them.

"The Death Eaters got through all those protective charms?" Harry asked.

"The Death Eaters have the full might of the Ministry behind them now, Harry. They have the power to perform the most powerful and brutal spells without fear of repercussion."

"What about Auntie Muriel?" Ron asked. "Is she okay?" He had never really liked her, but she had saved his and Donovan's lives.

"That old witch? She's tougher than any of us, I grant you. She's fine. She wouldn't allow them inside her home. Forced their way in and found nothing, kept them awfully busy for a while though. They roughed her up a bit, but nothing that won't heal."

"Do they even have an excuse for torturing people over Harry's whereabouts?" Hermione asked.

"Well," Lupin was hesitant and then pulled out a copy of the Daily Prophet. "Read it for yourselves, you'd find out sooner or later."

Harry opened the paper to find a huge picture of himself on the front page and underneath it a headline that said he was wanted in questioning about the death of Albus Dumbledore. "What rubbish!" Ron yelled.

"How dare they!?" Hermione outburst at the same time, "Death Eaters are now running the Daily Prophet as well then?"

Lupin nodded.

"Don't people know what is going on?"

"Well, they know that what's being reported probably isn't what happened. Scrimgeour is said to have resigned and Pius Thicknesse put in charge."

"Thicknesse?" Ron burst out. "That slimeball? Why didn't Voldemort just declaire himself Minister of Magic?"

"He doesn't have to," Hermione said. "He effective is, Thicknesse is just his puppet, leaving him free to do what he wants."

"People know what is going on, but they aren't coming out and saying it, they whisper and fear someone hearing them, because you don't know who to trust anymore. It's just like it was last time, but brought to much larger sphere. You don't speak out for fear you or your family will be targeted."

"And so now they're warning people against me instead of Voldemort?" Harry asked.

"That's part of it," Lupin said. "The other is that he doesn't want you to be the rallying point for the resistance." Lupin smirked. "Fortunately for us they are looking in entirely the wrong direction. That's one point for our side. But now the Ministry is moving against Muggle-Borns. Page two," he nodded to Harry.

Hermione turned the page quickly red with anger. "'Muggle-born Register,"' she read aloud, "'The Ministry of Magic is undertaking a survey of so-called "Muggle-borns," the better to understand how they came to possess magical secrets. Recent research undertaken by the Department of Mysteries reveals that magic can only be passed from person to person when Wizards reproduce. Where no proven Wizarding ancestry exists, therefore, the so-called Muggle-born is likely to have obtained magical power by theft or force. The Ministry is determined to root out such usurpers of magical power, and to this end has issued an invitation to every so-called Muggle-born to present themselves for interview by the newly appointed Muggle-born Registration Commission."'

"People won't that happen!" Ron said.

"I'm afraid it is happening, Ron," Lupin told him. "They're being rounded up as we speak. Unless they can prove they have at least one magical relative then they are deemed to have stolen the magic in some way and are being imprisoned."

"But what if they swear that person isn't part of their family?" Ron asked.

Lupin just gave him a look, he already knew the answer to that.

"What about Hogwarts?" Hermione asked. "Surely Hogwarts—"

"Attendance at Hogwarts is now compulsory for every witch or wizard in Britain, parents are no longer allowed to teach them at home or send them abroad. And every Muggle-Born student must now prove they have magical blood before they are allowed to attend."

"That's…that's…" Harry felt so sick right now thinking about all those magical Muggle-Born's who would never know, never have the chance to know who they really were, never know Hogwarts…

"I know," Lupin said. "Harry, the Order is under the impression Dumbledore left you a mission to do."

"He did," Harry said shaking his head from his thoughts. "Ron and Hermione on it with me."

"What is that mission?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Remus, but I can't tell you."

"I knew you'd say that, but I can still be of use to you, Harry. I could come with you, provide protection, experience, you wouldn't need to tell me anything."

Harry was tempted, but Hermione looked concerned. "What about Tonks?"

"What about her?" Lupin asked.

"How does she feel about this?"

"She is perfectly safe with her parents." There was such a cold and detached tone to his voice.

Regulus scoffed. "You do know that Erin is going to kill you, right? That niece of mine has such a temper."

"This is no concern of hers or yours, Black." Lupin told him.

"Tell them the truth, Lupin," Regulus said. "Tell them how Tonks forced you into marrying her when you didn't want to in the first place. How you had no choice in the matter."

"Shut it!" Remus growled.

"How did she force you?" Harry said. "I thought you—"

"She's pregnant." Hermione said.

"Really? That's great!" Harry said.

"Yeah, congratulations!" Ron said.

The smile on Lupin's face didn't look real at all. "Can I come with you then?"

"You're telling me you want to leave Tonks with her parents and come with us?" Harry asked him just to be clear.

"Yes." Lupin told him. "She'll be safe there. I'm sure your parents would want me with you, Harry."

"I don't think they would." Harry told him. "My dad and mum would be wondering why you aren't protecting your family. Look, I know you lost your first family, but that—"

"Don't," Remus said. "Don't mention them, Harry, never mention them. I made a mistake marrying Tonks, I should never have done it."

"So, you're just going to dump her and come with us? I don't think so. You made your bed and you're going to lie in it now."

"Don't you understand, Harry? What I've done them? She can't leave the house because she married me! My child will be judged simply because his father is a werewolf! They're marked from this! The Wizarding World hates creatures like me!"

"Erin once said that it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks," Harry told him. "If you have friends and family that love you, then you're never alone."

"Harry! My kind don't breed! The child will be like me! I'm sure of it! Romulus, he—"

"Was too young when he died for you to know that for certain," Regulus said.

"He will still be better off without me! The child Tonks carries!"

Ron snorted. "Really? Is that what you told Erin about her father being in Azkaban? That it was better he wasn't around her?"

"You know I never—"

"Do you really think it's worse to be a werewolf than to have your own father convicted for the murder of his friends and living in that hell hole?" Ron asked him. "What your child will think is that you abandoned him because you were ashamed of him! He's not going to think he's better off you aren't there! No matter what anyone tells him he's going to be convinced it's his fault!"

"You can't think your child would be ashamed of you!" Hermione said near tears.

"I would be," Harry said. The others looked at him shocked. "He just told us Muggle-Borns are being targeted, what are they going to do to a half-werewolf whose father is a member of the Order? My father died trying to protect my mum and me. Do you really think that he'd tell you to chuck your wife and kid just to come with us? Maybe seeing what it's like to not have a care in the world and not being roped down to a family. I may see Sirius doing this, and that's a big if right there, seeing as Sirius never truly grew up, but not you, Remus."

"What are you saying?" Remus asked him looking pretty angry.

"I'm saying you're acting like a coward!"

"Harry!" Hermione looked a little fearfully between Harry and Lupin.

"I'm the coward?" Lupin said evenly. "Well then Harry, what does that make you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"You're going off on this mission and leaving behind your girlfriend and child and leaving her to lead your army."

With that he turned walking out. "Remus! No! Come back!" Hermione said hurrying after him. "Don't leave! Please!" She came back. "Harry, you shouldn't have said those things!"

"He had them coming! Wanting to leave Tonks in her condition!"

"What about you?" Ron asked him. "Erin's pregnant? And you didn't tell us?"

"He was lying, Ron!" Harry told him. He had to be lying, just trying to get back at him.

"Are you sure, Harry?" Hermione asked him. "Are you sure Erin's not pregnant?"

"Well, she can't be, I mean we only did it once and you can't—"

Hermione just looked at him. "Seriously, Harry? You actually believe a woman can't get the first time?"

"Do you also believe if women jump up and down after it will prevent it?" Ron asked aghast. "Cuz, you know, that doesn't work either."

"Okay! Both of you shut it!" Harry said getting a headache. "I'm more concerned about what he meant about Erin leading the resistance. Besides parents shouldn't leave their kids unless they have to and I'm sorry, but if Erin really is pregnant I don't have a choice in this. He does." He sighed. "I know I shouldn't have called him a coward."

Harry had forgotten all about Kreacher until the door suddenly burst open and there was a mass of struggling limbs and sounds of 'Ger-off'. There was Kreacher with Mundungus and was that Dobby?

"Kreacher has returned with the sneak-thief, Mundungus Fletcher!" He said triumphantly.

Mundungus fell forward. "Get them off me!" He finally shrugged them off only to find several wands in his face and his wand shot from his hand. "Yeh can't just be sending House-Elves on people! It ain't fair! I ain't done nothin'—"

"You dare stand there and tell me you haven't taken my personal property, you little worm?" Regulus grabbed a hold of him and threw him onto the table.

"What the—who? Oh Merlin's beard! I'm dead, the House-Elf's killed me!"

"You aren't dead, you miserable excuse for a wizard, but you might soon be if you don't tell me precisely what I want to know!"

"What? Lemme go! If you don't I'll—"

"You're in no positions to make threats, Mundungus," Harry said.

"Kreacher apologizes for it taking so long," the old House Elf said. "But the thief has many hidey-holes to look in. When I found him he struggled so."

"I saw Kreacher struggling!" Dobby told Harry. "I didn't know what he was doing, but I thought I'd better help!"

"Good job, Kreacher," Regulus said.

"Thank you, Dobby," Harry told him. "It's good to see you again."

"And Master Weasley!" Dobby said, "Such a pleasure." Ron smiled and shook Dobby's little hand.

Mundungus took the opportunity to push wiggle his way off the table, but only succeeded in being backed into the room further until he was sitting on a chair in a corner. "Right," Harry said, "We have a few questions for you."

"It wasn't my fault! I didn't show up! But I didn't tell anyone! I swear I never betrayed Mad-Eye or anyone! It's not my fault he's dead!"

"That's not what we want to talk to you about," Harry said. "But don't consider yourself off the hook for that."

"We're talking about this." Regulus held up his locket. "You've seen one like this before. You came in the night after Sirius and Erin left and you took it, you took several things that were mine, but this in particular. Don't deny it. Where is it? What have you done with it?"

"Well, I bloody gave it away didn't I? There I was, minding my own business, hawking my wares, when this Ministry witch comes wanting to see my license, would've taken me in, but she took a shine to the locket there and in exchange for my freedom I gave it her."

"Who was she?"

"How'm I supposed—" He looked down at the paper. "Well, that's her, isn't it? Bloody bow and all."

"Umbridge," Hermione said.

Harry felt the anger rise in him. He clenched his fist, the white scars on his hand plainly showing 'I must not tell lies.'


	15. Chapter 15

Erin and Sirius had brought in another family to Haverstown. From the outside it looked as foreboding and decrepit as ever, but beyond the boundaries life was in full swing. They were teaching those old enough how to defend themselves. They all had their own homes, either apartments or one of the houses. Everything was being fixed up and they were concentrating on getting food for everyone. Madam Pomfrey had joined them not long after they got there. She had been dismissed from the school. She was worried about the children and about Louisa shouldering that burden by herself, but she was glad to be of use here to help everyone. Erin was frankly surprised that no one spoke out about her being in charge. Many were surprised and told her it was an honor to meet her. They had gotten to many of the Muggle Born students from Hogwarts and brought them there before the Ministry could take them. They tried to get to as many people as they could, but it was definitely hard. Mrs. Figg had come there herself, came all that way with her cats. What was left of the Order was in and out of there doing what good they could and bringing in those that were on the run hopefully before the Snatchers found them.

If anyone had any problems they were soon assuaged by watching the girl make sure everything was being run smoothly and they were safe, protected, and taught. Surprisingly many of them hadn't used any defensive spells or attack spells since they left Hogwarts. Viktor came and went and was secretly recruiting foreign wizards to the cause.

* * *

Harry, Hermione, and Ron were running from the Interrogation Room with the Muggle Borns they had set free and were in the elevator. Harry performed his Patronus. He knew there wasn't much time. Regulus had given him somewhere that they could go. "Listen to me," he told them. "You all have to leave, go home, get your families and leave. Either go abroad or here," Hermione passed out a tiny piece of paper to them. They read it and when they had memorized it, it disappeared. "You'll be safe there." He wasn't sure exactly where it was or who was there. Regulus just assured him they would be safe there. The doors opened. "We have to get to the fireplaces, act normal, but if I tell you to run, run." He told them. "Don't look back."

(A/N: If I don't go into detail about certain things, assume everything is the same from the movie or book. I'll mention it if something is different.)


	16. Chapter 16

As Ron sat down on the rock a strangled yell came out of him and he dug his hands into his hair. He couldn't believe what he had just done! How could he just leave Harry and Hermione there alone? They needed him and he had just—he got up hitting a tree truck across from him. He could feel the bark biting into his hands with each hit. He couldn't stop though, the pain barely registered in his anger at himself, anger at Harry, anger at Hermione. He knew he didn't really hate Harry and Hermione. He was mad at himself, but it felt better to be mad at them.

It was all that damn locket's fault! Making him think that Hermione was in love with Harry, but what girl wasn't in love with the great Harry Potter? What girl wouldn't choose Harry over him? Harry, who was Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, the Youngest and Best Seeker in a century! The Boy Who Lived! The Protector of the Sorcerer's Stone, the Destroyer of the Basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, the Youngest Tri-Wizard Champion, the Savior of the Wizarding World! Each thought put Ron's fists against the tree again and again and again. His fist had caused the trunk to splinter and it dug into the side of his hand. He yelled in frustration backing up as he pulled the offending piece of wood from his hand. He tripped over something (probably his bag) and landed on his back with grunt.

He lay there groaning as the breath was knocked out of him. He could now feel the pain in his hands, the pain in his arm, the pain in his chest as it constricted tightly making him gasp for breath. He opened his eyes and was about to try and get up when he noticed the stars shining through the foliage above him.

He swallowed hard. He could hear his mother's voice singing to him. "When the dark of night closes in and you feel like you're all alone, When there's no escape from the endless void, just look up into the sky and you'll see you're not alone. Just look to the stars, they shine even in the darkest night."

Ron found himself singing to himself looking up at those stars twinkling there above him. They always comforted him when he was having a problem, just knowing they were always going to be there…that no matter how powerful Voldemort was he couldn't touch them. There was nothing he could do to take away their beautiful, constant presence in his life…

"When there's no way out and you canna find the way through the 'ternal maze, When Dementors fill the sky, just look up into the sky and you'll see you're not alone. Just look to the stars, they shine even in the darkest night.

"When there's fire over the mountains and the Mark shines o'er all, you'll see just how strong you are, like the stars in the sky portend the Darkness returns, just look up into the sky, filled with icy fog and burning smoke. Look up into the sky, through it all, you'll see the stars." He sang softly. He could see the stars…it wasn't too late…there was still hope. As long as they could still see the stars there was hope. Ron sat up arms over his bent legs. He didn't know where he was…he had Apparated somewhere and didn't know where he was. And he didn't know how to get back either. He felt lonely inside, he missed them. Harry and Hermione. He'd give anything to be with them now. He had to find a way to get back to them, apologize for what he'd said and did…maybe, just maybe they'd forgive him. "Look up into the sky, through it all, you'll see the stars."


	17. Chapter 17

It was getting on towards Christmas. They listened to the radio every day to make sure no one they knew was dead. Sirius had gone out to get them a few things when he spotted the red-haired boy dozing at a table in the pub. Sirius came up to Ron and tapped on the table top, "Wakey, wakey."

The young man startled awake looking up like he expected to see someone else there. "Sirius!" he jumped up hugging him.

Sirius hugged the boy. "Come on, Lad. Let's get you out of here...the others aren't with you?"

"No, uh, we had an argument...I left...pretty stupid really...I'll tell you all about it when we're someplace safer."

Sirius gathered up his supplies and Ron and they made their way back to the safety of the cottage.

When they got there Erin and Ron hugged excited to see each other. She asked him so many questions that he answered to the best of his ability before they settled down and Ron was able to tell them what had happened to them since Remus left them after he explained about Erin not showing at all. She explained she was keeping a secret so she wouldn't be. "I got jealous...I saw Harry and Hermione coming back one night. He told her not to wear her perfume or something...I was worried they were sneaking around behind my back..."

"But of course you know now that was bollocks." Sirius asked. They were all good kids. They would never do such a thing to destroy such true friendships and relationships.

"If you had been taking turns with the locket then it's likely it was playing on your every negativity." Remus considered, "Driving you to conclusions that you would not normally consider."

"Yeah, I realize that now..." Ron said a little ashamed. "I wanted to go back the moment I left, just couldn't bring myself too. Harry's been so worried about you." He told Erin. "Since we didn't know what happened after we Disapparated. He wanted Hermione to take him back that instant to get you. She wouldn't, of course, but he wanted her to."

Erin nodded a little. She had missed Harry too, and was worried about him. "It didn't help that I was…out of line as well." Remus admitted, "Just lying things onto Harry when he didn't know about them. And other than your misunderstanding, the last time you saw them they were both as well as could be expected?" Remus asked. "It sounds as if Hermione was taking every precaution to protect the three of you."

"Yeah, she was...with that little bag of hers. Quite ingenious really, but then Hermione always was quite brilliant." He smiled.

"I've been doing research too." Erin said. And she had things at her disposal that those three didn't, "About the Horcruxes. You'd be amazed how much Dad actually knows."

"Was that complimentary?" Sirius asked Remus.

"I believe ninety percent of it was, yes." Remus replied. Sirius grinned.

Erin just grinned. "So, Sirius actually knew about the Horcruxes?" Ron asked.

"Well, no," Erin said, "But after I told him everything, things just sort of fell into place, including why my mother was murdered. You see, my mother, is a descendent of Rowena Ravenclaw on her mother's side and Dad thinks that Voldemort believed she knew the whereabouts of Ravenclaw's lost diadem."

"Wait a minute, so he made a Horcrux from something of Ravenclaw's?"

"Yes, at least we believe so. Tonks' mum knew for a fact that Voldemort worked for a woman that was a descendant of Hufflepuff and he killed her and stole a cup from her, the Cup of Hufflepuff. He killed her to make his Horcrux with. We knew that already, but it's nice to have outside confirmation."

"Okay, so let me get this straight." Ron said. "There was Tom Riddle's diary, which was the first Horcrux, and then the ring which belonged to his grandfather was the second one, and then the locket that Regulus had which belonged to Salazar Slytherin is three. And now you're saying Ravenclaw's lost diadem is number 4 and the Cup is 5...that's more than Harry and Hermione know. How many are there?"

"Seven," Erin replied. "That's what Tom said in the memory of Slughorn's. That leaves 2 unaccounted for."

"We'll work out what the two unaccounted are and where to find them, but until then I think it best that we deal with what we can deal with and focus on what we know already." Remus said.

"We have to be leaving soon, we're going to visit mom in Godric's Hollow." Erin said checking the time. "Are you coming with us, Ron?"

"Sure, never been to Godric's Hollow before."

* * *

They got there after nightfall and went to the cemetery. Erin and Sirius led the way to her grave. When they got there they found something strange...a wreath at the grave of Lily and James. "That's Hermione's magic." Ron said just knowing. "Does that mean they're here?"

"They can't be terribly far." Remus said. He didn't think that spell had been performed all that long ago.

They headed towards the Potter's old house thinking he might have gone there. They actually saw him down the street with Hermione. "Hey!" Ron called, but they didn't turn to see them. They went on. By the time they caught up they heard the sounds of a fight within a house. They hurried inside in time to have a huge snake flying towards them. The snake saw Erin and tried to actually stop and not attack. The wands fired curses at the snake as it rebounded.

"Harry?" Erin yelled just before they heard the sound of glass breaking and someone or two someone's Disapparating. The snake disappeared.

"We were so close..." Ron said sighing and looking around. "What were they doing here?"

"Maybe they thought the old place had answers for them." Sirius said.

"Maybe," Erin said. "We should get home before anyone comes looking."

They Disapparated back to the Haverstown, Dean Monson was poking at the fire burning in the fire place, eating a little hunk of chocolate Tonks had given him while Tonks was sitting in a chair. She wasn't hiding her pregnancy. "We almost found Harry and Hermione." Erin said. "But Voldemort's girlfriend got in the way."

"Girlfriend?" Dean asked confused.

"Long, legless bit of nasty named Nagini." Sirius offered.

"Oh, her."

"She's a snake." Ron said making a face. "But he seems to love her more than he does anything."

"So as far as you know your friends are okay?" Dean asked.

"They Disapparated, so we think they might be." Erin told him, "Hopefully though we'll be able to find them."

* * *

The next morning Ron was at the kitchen table unable to sleep when Erin came in with Sirius in dog form following her. She got some food out of the fridge giving Sirius a raw piece of meat he could chew on while she made them breakfast. They were quiet even as she fried up eggs and tomatoes and sausages, coupled with toast they ate in silence until they heard Hermione's voice saying "Ron". The deluminator was glowing and they saw the light come out of it. Ron grabbed Erin's hand and Sirius had already almost jumped in her lap to see what was going on, they Disapparated appearing in a snowy wood. "They have to be around here somewhere." Ron said.

"We just have to wait until they show themselves..." Erin said knowing they'd never see them with the barriers up. They didn't have any choice but to wait until the two showed themselves. It was cold, but Erin conjured up warm clothes and blankets for them.

* * *

When Harry finally did appear Ron was the only one up. And he followed the doe he thought Harry had conjured. He dove in the iced over pond pulling Harry out and getting the sword before they went and destroyed the Horcrux. Harry returned to find that Ron hadn't come alone and when he saw Erin he was beyond relieved. He hugged Sirius as well even though he remained a dog. Not long after did Hermione appear as she allowed them back to camp and began an argument of sorts with Ron.

Ron tried to protect himself as she hit him with his own bag and demanded her wand from Harry. "I want to come back the moment I left. I was just embarrassed and wasn't sure you would take me back." He said. "I was in a pub when Sirius found me and took me back with him to where they were staying with Tonks and Remus and the Winchesters. We saw you in Godric's Hollow."

"Apparently we Disapparated before they had a chance to contact us," Harry told her.

"Anyway, on Christmas morning I was up early, we weren't doing presents this year with everything going on...but Erin and Sirius came downstairs and made breakfast. All of a sudden we heard your voice, Hermione, you said my name, just my name, and then the Deluminator started glowing and a light came out of it. Well, it came at me and flew into my chest. Right here," He touched his chest over his heart. "I knew that it would take me to you, so we Disapparated and found ourselves here: The three of us."

They went into the tent and settled down. Erin told them everything they had found out about the other Horcruxes. They really had no idea where they were, but it was at least a start. They at least knew what two more were. After resting and warming up a bit they decided to pack up and prepare to move again.

* * *

When they were settled Hermione noticed a mark that kept popping up and showed it to the others. It was Sirius who launched into the story of the Three Brothers playing out the parts and getting others to be other people in it, mostly Ron who was not amused and just stood there while Sirius dramatically portrayed the story. He even borrowed Harry's invisibility cloak for effect. "I think he's going stir-crazy." Erin said sitting by Harry watching the performance.

"I have to agree." Harry said watching his Godfather act out the story for them and Ron stood by as his stiff counterpart.


	18. Chapter 18

Erin and Sirius headed back to Haverstown for now. Harry promised to keep them apprised of their situation; however, she was surprised when Bill sent her his Patronus telling her that the three were there and they needed her. She left right away and got to Shell Cottage. "Bill, Fleur?" She went in without knocking surprised to see Luna there.

"Erin, hello, it's good to see you."

"Hi, Luna," she hugged her.

"Erin," Bill said nodding. He and Fleur were finishing up some dishes. "They arrived here a while ago. They were caught by Snatchers and taken to Malfoy Manor. They escaped, but…not all of them survived the encounter."

"Who's dead?" Erin asked going white.

"Dobby," Luna told her. "Harry dug his grave and he's up there with him still."

Erin turned and hurried outside finding Harry up on the dunes. He hugged her burying his face in her chest. She could feel his entire body shudder and then he started sobbing against her. "I'm so sorry," she told him. "He was the best House Elf I ever knew."

"Me too," he managed to get out.

They were quiet for a bit until he managed to get himself calmed down. "We have a plan. We're going to Gringott's. Hermione has a hair from Bellatrix, so she's going to be—"

"Oh no!" Erin said. She loved the girl, but Hermione playing Bellatrix? Erin headed back into the Cottage. "Hermione!" She called.

Hermione stuck her head out of a door. "Erin?"

Erin headed up to her and into the room. "Give me the potion."

"What? You can't be serious—"

"There's no way you can be Bellatrix, I'm sorry, Hermione, you're smart and everything, but it takes a Black to pull it off. And you, I'm sorry to say, are not a Black."

* * *

When they were ready to go Erin came out as Bellatrix to the grave. Ron was actually looking sexy with the beard. Not that she was going to say anything, but damn! Hermione was disguised as his sister, both Transylvanians. They didn't look anything like themselves. Griphook put the sword in Hermione's bag and go onto Harry's bag. The cloak was put over them and they Disapparated into Diagon Alley.

They found themselves in a little alleyway. A wizard came by and paused, "Why, Madam Lestrange!"

Griphook was about to speak when Erin nodded a little haughtily to the man, "Travers," she nodded. "I hope your week is going better than mine."

"I am surprised to see you out and about." He told her. "I heard you were under house arrest after the escape."

"My pathetic brother-in-law is and his equally pathetic family, but not I, Travers. The Dark Lord favors his faithful."

He nodded a little. "They do say the Dark Lord favors you in particular, Bellatrix."

Erin's eyes narrowed. "What are they saying?" She demanded.

The man quickly backed up. "I don't recognize your companions, Bellatrix."

"This is Dragomir Despard," said Hermione; they had decided that a fictional foreigner was the safest cover for Ron to assume. "He speaks very little English, but he is in sympathy with the Dark Lord's aims. He has traveled here from Transylvania to see our new regime. And this is his sister Cosmina Despard. The Despard's are a pureblood family, one of the oldest in Transylvania. Dragomir, Cosmina, this is Travers."

Both of them nodded. Travers, however, took Hermione's hand kissing it. "A beautiful woman is hard to find."

Hermione swallowed hard trying to fight off the revulsion. "Thank you," she said imitating Viktor's accent as closely as she could.

He merely nodded to Ron. "So what brings you Diagon Alley, Madam Lestrange?"

"We are visiting Gringott's."

"Ah, so am I, I shall accompany you. Shall we?" He said offering his arm to Hermione. Hermione took it not really wanting to.

Erin fell into step beside them tossing her hair behind her shoulders. Ron, not look very happy, came along behind them. Harry and Griphook behind him still under the invisibility cloak. The entrance to Gringott's had two wizards at it running long thin golden rods over anyone wanting to go in. "Ah, Probity Probes," Travers said, "So crude, but so effective." The golden rods ran over their bodies and one made a noise over Erin's stomach. She stepped back putting a hand over it. "So, the rumors are true," he said. "It's all right," he told the guards. "I think that concealment is allowed…"

The guards didn't look so sure and then they suddenly blinked and nodded slowly letting them into the bank. Erin stalked forward clicking her boots across the marbled floor drawing attention of every goblin in the place. "Take me to my vault, goblin." She told the one that looked to be in charge.

He looked up and did a double take, "Madame Lestrange," he fumbled a little. "Identification, please?"

"Identification?" Erin asked scoffing. "Me? You want me to provide identification? I DEMAND you take me to my vault, NOW!" She shrieked at him.

"Now, now, no need for all this," Travers said. "As you can see the woman is who she says she is—"

"We have had word…"

"Word? Word?" Erin burst out. "How dare you! I doubt that word was expressly about me. You will take me to my vault at once, goblin, or else!"

"Or else what?" the goblin asked convinced this was an imposter. He leaned forward.

Erin's hand flew across his face scratching his cheek deeply. The goblin reeled back gasping. "Stop! Stop this!" Travers said putting his hand up to the guards. "Stop this! She's obviously who she says she is. Do not do this," he told the goblin pleadingly. He knew Bellatrix was partially insane. Who knew what she would do?

"Take me to my vault, goblin," Erin said in a low, dangerous voice.

The goblin looked like he wasn't sure which way to go and then his face suddenly cleared. "Ah, of course," he said. "Of course this is Madam Lestrange."

"Good, I will leave you now then. Miss Despard, I look forward to seeing more of you." He told Hermione.

"Of course," she said smiling a little.

"I shall need the clankers," the goblin said. A younger one ran off and brought back a bag for him. "Good, good! If you will all follow me. We will go visit Madam Lestrange's vault."

They all got into some carts. "That was actually quite good," Griphook told Erin. "I wasn't sure you had it in you."

"Are you kidding?" Erin asked him. "I'm a Black, just because I'm a nice one doesn't mean I don't know how to act like one."

They went through the tunnels over the tracks, turning this way and that, twisting and turning. Harry was worried. Erin had played Bellatrix flawlessly, but…yes, there was always a but, it was foolish to bring her along in her condition, not only that, they knew who stole Bellatrix wand, and they knew they might try this. Were they walking into a trap? He had enough time to blink and then saw a waterfall in front of them. Griphook tried to stop it, but they went underneath it, soaking them in the process. Erin gasped. The cart began to make siren noises and it stopped completely. They cart dumped them all right out. If it wasn't for Hermione, they would have all been dead, squashed against the rocks below. They were all soaked clean through and everyone looked like themselves again and Erin was breathing deeply in and out. Her tummy was all round.

"Erin?" Hermione went to her side. "Are you okay?"

Erin nodded. "I'm okay."

"The Thief's Downfall!" said Griphook. "They know we're here now."

The other goblin turned bewildered. "What are all of you doing down here? Thieves! The lot of you, just wait until—"

"Imperio!" Harry said again. "I hate doing these things."

Griphook led them up the rock face. Erin was pretty upset because disguising charms couldn't work in there. It was so much easier when she didn't have to deal with her stomach being in the way or getting help. Harry and Ron were on either side of her and a little more protective than she liked. She was never so happy as when they got to the top, but then they came face to face with a gigantic dragon tethered to the ground. The beast was pale white and its eyes milky. "The dragon guards access to the deepest vaults." Griphook said taking a clanker from the bag and started waving it creating a clanking noise. "They're trained to hear the noise and expect pain."

"That's totally barbaric!" Hermione said disgusted by all of this.

They got passed the dragon and up the stairs to the Lestrange Vault. Griphook put the other goblin's hand on the door opening it. They went inside searching for the cup. "Erin, stay outside, okay?" Harry said.

"I'm not going in there." Erin said as if it was a foregone conclusion. "I know my relatives and there's gotta be something awful in there. I'll wait out here." Erin kept an eye out for anyone coming to get them. She had only been out there a few minutes when suddenly she heard them screaming. She went to look and Griphook ran into her carrying the sword.

"Thieves!" He yelled.

"What in the world?" He pushed Erin back and she tripped landing hard. "You wanker!"

"Thieves! Thieves!" He yelled running down the stairs and towards the advancing goblins and wizards.

Erin groaned looking out at them, the clankers were going strongly now. That little pipsqueak, if she ever got her hands on him…oooh, one of these days. The wand was gone now. It had flown out of her hand when he bowled her over. She put up a shield as they saw her and started firing spells. "Harry? Hurry up in there! We're going to have company in just a few seconds!"

"Almost got it!" he yelled back.

Erin was able to send the spells back at the wizards, but she couldn't do much more right now. Her whole body went rigged as pain started in her abdomen and wrapped around to her back. Damnit! "Harry! We have to get going, now!"

They fell out of the vault and just managed to shut the door behind them. They started throwing spells while Erin kept the shield up. "Any ideas?" Harry asked the others.

"One," Hermione said. "But it's mad!"

"And that's new for us?" Ron asked her.

Hermione blasted the chains off the dragon and then she climbed up on the railings and jumped on. "Come on!" She yelled.

Ron clambered up and helped Harry get Erin up there. Harry jumped on and then they were in flight. The dragon didn't need much persuading as it smelled the fresh air above it and had wizards shooting spells at it from below and then the awful clanking noise.


	19. Chapter 19

p class="MsoNormal"They flew the dragon right out of Diagon Alley and then out of London. It wasn't the best solution to jump off the dragon when it flew low over a lake, but they didn't have much choice. Harry stayed beside Erin getting her to shore. Hermione set up getting clean clothes out for them and some towels. Ron pulled off his cloak and robes and set to starting a fire. Harry had his shirt off and he was unbuttoning Erin's dress stripping it off her as fast as he could. He grabbed a towel and dried her off before Hermione gave her one of Ron's sweatshirts and a pair of sweat pants. The boys stripped and redressed only after Erin was taken care of. Once they were all redressed Harry took a deep breath. "He's mad, You-Know-Who. He knows we're after the Horcruxes."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""We have to go to Hogwarts then," Erin said./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Tonight, we have to get you some help though."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""I'm—"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Don't say you're fine!" Harry told her. "Don't, you're not fine. None of this is good for the baby. I don't know what I was thinking saying yes to all of this."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Because you didn't have a choice," Erin told him. "Hermione couldn't be Bellatrix."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""We have to get somewhere safe."/p  
p class="MsoNormal""Haverstown." Erin told him./p  
p class="MsoNormal""Okay, Haverstown." He nodded. "Hermione?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"They all Disapparated and appeared outside the silent town. Erin took them inside the protective spells. Erin was hailed and then, "What's wrong?" "Are you okay?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal"Sirius appeared and he picked her up taking her to their apartment. Tonks was there holding a little baby with blue hair. "Is everything all right?"/p  
p class="MsoNormal""No, it isn't." Sirius said not looking too happy. "You shouldn't have gone without me." He told his daughter taking her upstairs. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /spanA few minutes later he came back downstairs. "That baby is going to be born whether we like it or not."/p 


	20. Chapter 20

Andromeda arrived along with Madam Pomfrey and Mira. While they were with Erin the others were planning going to Hogwarts so get the next Horcrux. Sirius had been unceremoniously kicked out and Hermione was wondering if she should be up there, but she needed to be planning with the boys too… It was hard for all of them to concentrate and then Harry finally sighed. "Since when do our plans ever work?" He asked them, "Let's just Apparate into Hogsmeade after dusk and try to get into the castle. From there we'll see what we can do. What are they doing up there?" He burst out.

Sirius patted his shoulder. "Buck up, mate, it's the lot of men. They're always making us wait." He sighed.

The door opened and Remus came in. "Am I too late?" He paused seeing Harry and Hermione there.

Harry looked over at him and there was some awkward silence. "Oi, kiss and make up already," Sirius told them sternly. "I said—"

"I'm sorry for calling you a coward." Harry told Remus.

"I probably deserved it." He said. The two hugged.

"What's going on?"

"Erin's having her baby," Sirius told him. "I suspect she's fine though…"

"You think so?" Remus asked him.

"No, but if I don't pretend like it is, you know who…" he nodded exaggeratedly at Harry, "will get all excited."

"I'm standing right here," Harry told his godfather.

"Of course you are, Harry. I can see you." Sirius said.

Harry sighed.

"Aw, he's making that look Flower always made." Sirius said grinning.

"I wonder why," Remus said dryly.

* * *

It wasn't until early that evening when they were told the baby was there. It had been a relatively easy birth and fast. Hermione snorted. "Knowing Erin? She was in labor for hours before she actually admitted anything."

"She didn't admit a thing." Sirius said. "I just knew that look."

He and Harry went upstairs to see the baby first before Hermione could butt her way in. She'd done it before. Mira was helping Erin get all comfy before taking away the dirty things. Harry swallowed hard moving passed her to see that tiny little face peeking from the blanket. "She's beautiful," Harry said seeing the dark hair all over her head.

"Is it a girl?" Sirius asked.

Erin nodded. "Arianna Dorcas."

"She's a beautiful puppy." Sirius said.

"I'm not even going to correct you," Erin told him.

"Of course not! Your mum didn't after a while either." He said slightly snarkily.

* * *

Erin waited until after they had gone to Hogsmeade. Erin handed the baby to Andromeda.  
"Seriously, Erin?" She asked as the girl got out of bed pulling a few things on.

"I have to go."

"You and Tonks are going to be the death of me!"

"There's no hope for it, Andromeda." She winced as she tried to button her jeans. There was no way around it, she used a concealment spell and she was able to button and zipped them up. She would get her figure back, but it wasn't going to be tonight. "There are things I have to do before Voldemort gets to Hogwarts."

"He's there then?"

"Yes, he knows Harry's going there for the Horcrux, to destroy it. Harry is going to need all of his army. If we're going to defeat him, I have to be there. There's no way around it. Mira!"

The girl hurried in. "What are you doing?"

"We have to go, you know Voldemort is calling his followers to Hogwarts, I need a little help right now."

"Oh Merlin," Mira said shouldering some of Erin's weight. "I can get you as far as Hogsmeade and then I have to go to him and report on what I know!"

"What are you going to tell him?" Erin asked conversationally as Mira helped her downstairs.

Mira rolled her eyes. "I should tell him you're more stubborn than anything."

"He already knows that. I don't think he wants to hear that." Erin said matter-of-factly.

"It's really not cute." She told her cousin.

The people here were told to say goodbye to their families and any that had to stay. Andromeda was left in charge. They would all get to Hogwarts and wait for the signal. Mira Apparated both of them to Hogsmeade and left Erin with Aberforth. "What are you doing here?" He demanded.

"Not now," Erin told him.

"Yes, now! The Order just went through, none of them will like that you're here!"

"Doesn't matter, I have things to do. I'm going through and you're not stopping me."

"Merlin forbid anyone tries to stop a Lyancomp woman!"

"Good, you see things my way." Erin said smirking.

"There's a reason I never married!" He grumbled helping her through the portrait hole.


	21. Chapter 21

Erin quietly crept through the halls heading passed the Great Hall. More than anything she wanted to be with the others, but there was something she had to do. She hurried from the castle and to the Forbidden Forest. She could hear her father's thoughts still though as he walked into the Hall and McGonagall stepped out to protect Harry. Snape fled the Hall leaving the Carrow's behind. She was careful as she went through the trees for Voldemort's followers and the giants with them. There were werewolves in the forest, but they would just smell a regular wolf. She spared a thought for her child, Harry's child. A centaur loomed in front of her.

"What business does a filthy witch have in the forest this night?" He asked.

Erin pulled off her scarf. "The Woman Child comes."

The centaur gasped and then bowed down in front of her. "You may ride upon my back this fateful night." He helped her take her seat before they were off through the trees.

Back in the castle things were chaotic. Harry was searching for the Grey Lady and Ravenclaw's Lost Diadem. McGonagall was manning the boundaries with the stone knights. Hermione and Ron had gone to the Chamber of Secrets to destroy Hufflepuff's Cup. They all had their parts to play.

The centaur roared into the camp. "The Woman Child comes!" He called.

The centaurs crowded around to touch her as he helped her from his back. A chestnut centaur came forward parting his people. "Great Magorian," Erin said looking up at him. "I have come. An alliance existed once between us and it has been fated to be again. You have read the portents, the stars are aligned and Voldemort makes his stand against Hogwarts this night."

"We care not for Hogwarts or its people." Magorian told her.

"Then care for this, Magorian, King of the Centaurs of Brocéliande, a new age comes for wizard kind and all magical creatures."

"That name has not been uttered in this forest for a thousand years. And we will not hear it!"

"This is Brocéliande! That castle is built upon the ruins of Camelot, that Camelot where a centaur held a place at the Round Table!"

"Your histories say nothing of our forefather! The first and greatest! Has that traitor Firenze been telling you our secrets?!" He roared.

Erin stood her ground, she knew their histories spoke of legends that this was so. "I am the Woman Child, Magorian. I know that when Camelot stood it was not only humans that held a place at that table. I know who the Knights of Camelot really were."

"Tell on, Woman Child. Tell us what you know of those times."

"The Knights of Camelot were made up of the sentient creatures of our world. Centaur, Merfolk, Goblin, House Elf, Veela…"

"And the last, name the last."

"Moon Fairy."

"The days of Camelot are over, girl." Magorian told her. "Those days cannot come again thanks to the Dark Lord. He killed all of the Children of the Moon." He turned away from her.

Erin took a breath smiling. "No, he didn't. He left two alive. We have Merfolk, we have Goblins, we have House Elves, we have Veela," She said walking towards him. "We have the Children of the Moon, Dynius and Karmin Monson live. Now, Magorian, do we have our Centaur? The Time of Old is upon us. A True Lady of Avalon fights for us and the Children of Lyanesse. All we need is you, Magorian King of the Centaurs, descendant of the First Knight of the Round Table. Fight with us! Unite us once more. Unite all of us!"

Magorian wavered even as they heard the explosions on the bridge. "Who will keep us equals after this fight is over, Woman Child?"

"Around this table we stand as equals, now and forever. United we stand against our foes. Apart we fall to utter ruin. We pledge our lives, our hearts, our souls to peace. May our children and children's children always come when we call to unite." Erin repeated the words of the Table. "Magorian, unite us! Unite us once more! And I swear to you I will do everything in my power to make sure we will all be equal once more."


	22. Chapter 22

Kaeli found Dean in the midst of battle and they threw their arms around each other. She had come with the Death Eaters and slipped away the first moment she could. Dean was hapy to see her alive and unhurt.

"Look!" Seamus pointed to the ridge high above Hogwarts. They were on their last legs exhausted when they all turned to see what Seamus saw. Huge horses reared above the mountains. Wings pumping hard and fast and behind them a huge carriage and at the driver's seat they saw Madame Maxime holding the reigns. The light from the burning forest lit her up, a fire in her eyes and a war cry on her lips as she urged them on towards the battle. On the back of the coach they could see the Beauxbatons girls wearing not their usual school uniforms of blue silk, but armor, wands out and already using them. All around them were men on brooms wielding the battle staves of the Durmstrang led by Viktor Krum. The carriage careened into the battle field. The horses were let go and they were off screaming as they attacked the giants in ravaging kicks and bites. The doors to the carriage burst open emitting more girls out and immediately into the fray.

From the forest horns sounded. The centaurs emerged through the darkness running towards the battle. They saw Erin riding on the back of the lead centaur.

Hogwarts had more allies than Voldemort thought. Way more…Still the battle had not turned in their favor. The moon was high overhead when Kaeli and Dean looked each other. Dean nodded to his sister. The blonde haired girl knelt down on the ground drawing a circle around herself with her wand while Dean kept the invaders from her. Other students saw them and hurried over to help, Flitwick in the lead. "I hope you have a plan, lad!"

"We do." Dean growled low in his throat. This was the very essence of their magic and used only as a last resort, there was no more time. "Voldemort thought he'd killed the last of the Great Line of the Moon…he may have driven us from our homeland, but tonight we return."

Kaeli stood arms in the air catching the moon's light in a ring on her finger, a glowing white stone and blue metal, "I Máni ljus, dotter till Máni ringer dig! Uppstå, son till Máni!"

Flitwick understood those words and almost gasped. "By the Moon's Light, The Daughter of the Moon calls you! Arise, Son of the Moon!"

Dean threw back his head and roared, face twisting in rage. Razor sharp claws grew from his fingernails and his teeth long and sharp erupted from his mouth. He was growing too. Spells just fizzled out before they even got to him. Soon the unassuming boy grew to be at least 20 feet tall, silver hair covering a body of pure muscle and sinew. Intelligent black eyes looked out from the face of a monster. Massive feet pounded over the rubble towards one of the giants. The giant turned in time to see him swinging the massive club at him. Dean caught the club in his hand crushing it in his fist before backhanded the malicious creature. The giant staggered and turned back only to be knocked back again. Students, teachers, and invaders hurried out of the way as the two fought.

Kaeli suddenly launched herself in the air to the surprise of those around her. In the moonlight she started glowing and spinning changing herself, but not like Dean. Her hair grew longer, the silver color of the moonlight. And she seemed ethereally beautiful. Her eyes glowed a luminous green. She floated suspended in mid-air high above them. Her body moved, back humped up until huge wings erupted from her back. Kaeli was, at last, revealing her true self in the moon's light. Long silver hair floating around her and the large silvery glowing wings, long and flowing and tattered like pieces of material stretching out on either side of her in the vague shape of bird wings and yet totally unlike them as well, her body still curved and sturdy.

They could hear her voice over the din of the battle looking straight at Voldemort. "Hemligheten av Máni inte dö med våra föräldrar. Vi lever i den sista barn av Máni."

"The Secret of the Moon did not die with our parents. It lives in the last Children of the Moon." Flitwick translated for the students around him. "The Death Eaters killed their family, but they missed those two, thinking they were too young to know how to use the magic inside of them."

Voldemort stood on the hill above Hogwarts seething and watching Mani's son and daughter. His followers had tried (and now he saw failed) to eradicate the entire line from the face of the earth. They could feel her power lying dormant inside of her until the moon's light brought it to the surface. Voldemort sneered. "Enough of this," he said as he brought the wand up shooting it at her. The spell hit her and curved around her. Voldemort faltered eyes wide. The Elder Wand was powerless against the Moon's Chosen Daughter.

Down in the courtyard Draco had come out and looked up at her. Blaise was beside him trying to get him to move until he too looked up blinking. "Is that Kaeli?"

"I have never seen her more beautiful than she is right now." He said in complete awe. He wasn't the only one looking up at her.

"She frightens me…" Blaise murmured averting his eyes. It was true. All that beauty and there was an edge to it that hit him right to the core. "I am so glad she's on our side, but don't ask me to look at her." No one, except Draco, could stare at her for very long, not her face anyway.

"She is a Queen among Witches." Draco breathed out, "A Moon Queen." He ached to join her there where he knew she was finally showing her true self. It was this that enchanted him knowing she could finally show herself as she never had before. She loved him. She had sworn this to him with the unbreakable vow that she was his and no others. And he had sworn that to her. He felt a burning on his arm and pulled back his sleeve. Blaise saw the dragon holding the moonstone in its claws on his arm glowing. Draco cried out and pulled the material from his other arm to see the Dark Mark burning OFF. It was disappearing from his skin. He looked up despite the pain at Kaeli. She was doing this. He was no long marked as one of Voldemort's, only as hers. The power flowed through him as he accepted the pain. He closed his eyes and felt himself changing. Blaise gasped as Draco's skin changed color. A silver glow encased him entirely and he was growing huge and wings erupted from him as well. He flew up into the sky revealing a beautiful silver colored dragon with wings close to what Kaeli's were. He moved over her and around her crying out his pleasure at the shape he had taken. Her hand went over her heart. 'My heart, your heart, Draco,' He heard her in his mind.

He turned fast in the air going to the battle fighting for his heart, mind, and body were now completely hers. The tide had turned.


	23. Chapter 23

Below on the grounds House Elves were pouring out of the castle, and on the hill! The army from Haverstown had finally arrived! All together it was still going to be a long fought fight. It wasn't until the clouds blocked the moon that things began to get bad. The Monson's were vulnerable when the moon wasn't touching them. Kaeli and Draco fell to the ground and Dean changed back into his natural form. No one knew exactly what was going on, but Voldemort suddenly told his troops to fall back and let them dispose of their dead. He told Harry to meet him in the Forbidden Forest or he would kill every last person in Hogwarts.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione entered the Great Hall. There were so many dead and hurt. Ron paused and stared seeing his family all around someone on the floor. "No…" he whispered hurrying over. "NO!" George was lying on the ground dead.

Donovan was holding Ginny close to him as she sobbed. Fred was on the ground unable to get up. Charlie was beside him holding onto him. The look of pure torture was on Fred's face. They wondered where Mira was.

"Harry," Harry turned to see Erin there.

"What…what are you doing here?" He asked grabbing her arms. "You shouldn't be here! You—" He paused seeing her face. "No…who? Sirius?"

"No…" she shook her head and pointed. He didn't want to look, but finally he did turning his head and saw Remus and Tonks lying there on stretchers. Sirius was lying on the floor next to Remus looking completely broken.

Harry turned.

"Harry?" Erin asked.

"I have to go…just…I have to go."

Erin watched him run out of the Great Hall. A House Elf passed by with a tray full of bandages. Louisa was hurrying from patient to patient along with Madam Pomfrey doing their best to help who they could. Centaurs were moving around the room helping where they could.

Ron and Hermione finally pulled themselves away from the family and they took Erin up the stairs to be away from everyone for a little bit. "Do you reckon he's already gone down to the forest?" Ron asked them.

"I don't know," Erin said. "I guess we'll know soon if he has."

Ron helped her to sit down on the top of one of the steps. "I can't believe you're here. You just gave birth!"

"Didn't have a choice, Ron!" Erin told him. "There's only one way to defeat Voldemort, we need to form the Circle. The Circle of the Round Table. We need the four descendants of the Original Four: Arthur, Merlin, Morgana, and Lyana. And we need the descendants of those knights on the round table: centaur, veela, house elf, goblin, moon fairy, and merrow. Be even better with other creatures…if we had Hagrid it would be even stronger."

"Who are the descendants though, do we know?" Hermione asked.

Erin nodded. "I will know…I just have to perform the spell that makes them known. I will do that when the time is right. I have my suspicions on who will be chosen, but that's all."

They heard footsteps on the stairs and turned to see Harry. They stood up. "We thought you'd gone down to the forest," Hermione said.

"Not yet, I'm going now."

"Harry, you can't," Ron began.

"Yeah, I have to." Harry said. "I know now…the last Horcrux, I guess I've known for a long time, I think you have too, Hermione."

"I'll go with you!" Hermione said trying hard not to cry.

"No, you have to kill the snake. Whatever happens you have to get to the snake." Hermione hugged him and he hugged her back tightly before letting her go back to Ron. He turned to Erin and hugged her tightly too and kissed her one last time. "I have to do this alone. I don't know what's going to happen, I just know I have to do this."

"I know," she said softly.

"Do what you have to do, Erin. We've always been meant to part…"

"Not forever though."

"No, not forever," he whispered. "No matter what happens now. I love you."

"I love you too," she told him and finally pulled back from him.

"Kill him, Erin…do what you need to do. Make sure he's dead."

"I will, if you can't."

He nodded that's all he could ask for. He went down the stairs and headed out into the forest.


	24. Chapter 24

It was a little after dawn when Voldemort and his followers finally headed towards the castle. Everyone that could came out to see what was going on. They saw Hagrid, held by chains, carrying someone. "Who is that?" Ginny asked. "Neville, who is that?"

"Harry Potter is dead!" Voldemort called to them.

"NO!" Ginny cried out. Arthur held her back knowing how hard this was, they had lost so many in the day, but Harry…not Harry.

"Shut up, you stupid girl." Voldemort sneered. "Your cries cannot save him now. But I, as a caring and forgiving lord, offer you life. I will allow any that wishes to join us now to come over and we'll find a place for you."

"Draco," Lucius said motioning to his son.

Draco was standing next to Kaeli and shook his head.

"Come, son, come," Lucius told him again.

Narcissa moved forward going to her son and then turned to face the Death Eaters. "Why, Narcissa, I am surprised, and saddened at this betrayal." And then Mira moved and stood next to Fred putting her arm around him. "And Mira, my dear, well, I am quite disheartened, but come now, I am sure the rest of you are tired of fighting, that you desire rest." Voldemort was growing angry. "Why fight for a coward? A coward who was killed trying to save his own life by leaving you all to die?"

"You should not tell lies!" A voice rang out from the midst of those on the other side of the courtyard. Erin Black came out from among them. "Don't you dare lie about this. You know very well, he came to you in the forest, he was not running anywhere."

"Ah, yes, the Black girl, well, you know all about lying, don't you, girl? You masqueraded around as someone else your first years at Hogwarts, you fornicated with a werewolf—"

"Please, even if I did, I'm not the one making love to a snake."

"You little whore—"

"AAAAARRRRGGGGHHH!" A moment later Neville charged the man. There was a scuffle and a bang, a flash of light and Neville grunted in pain. Voldemort threw Neville's wand away from him.

"And who is this?" Voldemort asked.

"The Longbottom boy," Bellatrix said. "You know the sons of the Aurors."

"Ah yes, yes, of course, didn't you tell me, Bella, how his mother begged for mercy and his father tried to save himself?"

Neville stared up at him. "Don't try that, I was there that night. I saw everything."

That surprised Voldemort a little, but he quickly regained his composure. "Did you now, my boy? You're a pureblood, aren't you?"

"So?"

"So, we need those like you with us."

"You'd better kill me, because I will never join you. Dumbledore's Army!" He shouted and there were answering cheers.

"Have it your way," Voldemort said raising his wand. Then there was a crash from one of the upper windows and something came down through the shadowed light. Voldemort caught it and snorted seeing what it was. "The Sorting Hat. Well, there will be no more Sorting, there will be no more Houses. Everyone at Hogwarts will be a Slytherin." He tossed the hat to the side. Neville picked it up holding it to him. "Well, Neville, you have the dubious honor of showing your friends what happens to those that oppose me."

"I don't think so!" Neville said pulling a sword from the hat and deflected the spell that Voldemort sent at him being thrown back at the same time into the rubble.

Then all Hell broke loose. Harry suddenly rolled from Hagrid's arms. "Harry? Harry!" There was cheering and screams as Harry dashed for cover and deflected spells with his wand. Voldemort yelled as his followers started Disapparating and then he went after Harry.

The ones that stayed went after the others following them into the castle where they had retreated. It was complete chaos in the Great Hall as they all had a renewed vigor to continue the fight and avenge their fallen dead. When there was a moment Erin ducked behind the Head Table in the Great Hall, it was over on its side now. Louisa, feeling something, hurried over to her along with some other Ravenclaws. "Any ideas?" She asked the taller girl.

"Yes," Erin nodded pulling out a piece of chalk and drawing a circle on the ground. "United we stand." The Daughter of Lyanesse.

"Against our foes," Louisa intoned confused looking at Erin. The Lady of the Lake.

"Apart we fall to utter ruin," Magorian was beside her along with Kaeli Monson.

"We pledge our lives," Flitwick said gasping a little for breath after diving behind the table head first.

"Our hearts," a tiny redhead house elf popped up along with Fleur.

"Our souls to peace," there was Regulus. The Descendant of Merlin.

Hagrid positioned himself in front of the table.

"We're only missing one."

"No, I'm here," Neville said gasping. "Snake's dead." The King of Camelot.

Erin nodded. "Time to go then."


	25. Chapter 25

Harry knew Voldemort was had more energy than he did. He'd fight until his last breath, but he was afraid it wouldn't be enough. Then he heard something, Voldemort must have too. He saw figures darting in the shadows circling around them, but he couldn't get a good look at any of them. They were all cloaked it seemed. He was confused. Harry was in front of him almost spent. Then they stepped out. He wasn't sure what was going on. "Now!" The cloaks came off and Voldemort knew he was surrounded. Erin Black stood there behind Harry, not only her, but he saw Magorian there, a little redheaded House Elf stood to Erin's left. Louisa McCormack was there, Flitwick, Hagrid, Kaeli Monson, a merrow had come out of the Black Lake brandishing a spear, Fleur Delacour, Neville Longbottom with the sword of Gryffindor and…Regulus Black stood there. That was impossible… he looked down realizing where they were. In the courtyard, he had seen it so many times during his time here at Hogwarts. A circle of ancient stones, the circle—all at once he realized where they were, where they truly were. "United we stand," Erin said putting her hands out on either side of her, Kreacher and Magorian put their hands out, a circle had formed, "Against our foes. Apart we fall to utter ruin. We pledge our lives, our hearts, our souls to peace."

Voldemort tried sending spells at them, but the circle was strong, much stronger than the one that tried and failed to protect Camelot from the Viking invasion.

"It's just you and me, Tom." Harry said staggering to his feet. "Let's finish this."

The power from Harry's wand hit Voldemort and a piece of soft, wispy soul came off. It drifted into the stillness and Harry's heart beat hard in his chest as he watched it floating down. It seemed to be searching for something. Erin was behind him though…why wasn't it heading for her? There was a rumble and the stones of the courtyard bucked and it was all they could do to keep their feet, the power from the wands all but dissipated. A crack opened through the stones and a sepulcher was exposed coming up out of the ground. There was a shout from inside and soon students, teachers, even Death Eaters were peeking out to watch. The top opened and the body of a woman rose up from it. She had a short cap of red hair on her head, dark eyelashes framed her closed eyes, and beautiful plump lips framed her face. With a jolt Harry knew he knew her…He had seen her before…Xenia. The bit of soul lit up and looked…joyous…though how a little piece of soul could actually look joyous was…strange. The soul landed on the woman's chest and disappeared beneath it. Her whole body filled with light, fingers that were clasped tightly to a wand lying against her breast moved slightly and then her eyes flew open, a blinding green color that Harry knew so well.

"And the Phoenix shall rise again!" McGonagall yelled her voice finding power behind it. "And when she does the Dark Lord will be vanquished by the One who has been foretold! For one glorious moment the One Master of Death shall be!"

The quaking stopped and Xenia's feet touched the ground. She wore a simple white dress and her feet were bare as she moved to stand beside Harry a hand on his shoulder. Harry was surprised to see she was shorter than he was. He expected her to be about Erin's height, which was a good few inches taller than he was. She wasn't a tiny woman, but she wasn't tall either. She exuded a feeling of such power and he knew why Sirius loved her, why he said there was no one good enough for her. He felt the same about Erin…even Mira…damn, what a family of witches. If Dorcas had been anything like them he wasn't surprised Regulus had fallen for her.

Only a few seconds had gone by. 'Finish it,' Xenia's voice echoed in his mind. Without even thinking Harry's wand came up and Voldemort was almost a mirror to his as their wands met once more. The power met and Harry's raced towards Voldemort hitting the wand. The Elder wand glowed with dozens of cracks running from tip to base and it backfired on the man holding it. The wand flew from his hand and towards Harry who caught it. There was only One Master of Death and that was Harry Potter. The lines moved over Voldemort's white hand and under his robes appearing again on his chest and face for one moment before he disintegrated.

It was over. Harry fell to his knees as a cheer erupted from behind him. "Xenie!" Sirius yelled pushing through people and running across the courtyard heedless of wounds he had sustained. She turned to him and he gathered her up in his arms kissing her and holding her tightly swinging her around. "Oh Xenie! Xenie!" He thought he was dreaming…but he hurt too much for it to be that. He had wanted to die when Voldemort killed her knowing he'd never see her face again…and that fierce burning in his heart all those years in Azkaban wanting revenge for her murder. He had thought he'd die again when he found out that Remus was dead. He couldn't be alone. He couldn't be the last one. And now she was in his arms real and whole and alive.

"How?" he whispered not able to stop the thought from slipping from his mouth.

"Don't worry, Siri. I'll explain it later." She said before greeting her daughter with a big hug and then Harry.

Later they were out on the bridge, the six of them. There were so many questions to be answered. "What happened in the courtyard?" Ron asked. "Why didn't the elder wand work for him and why did the soul go to Xenia if it was Erin's?"

"The piece of soul Wormtail took from me was never my own." Erin said sitting on a piece of the broken bridge.

Xenia smiled standing beside her. "When Voldemort killed me he took a piece of my soul as a trophy…and then it was transferred to Erin when he tried to kill you that night in Godric's Hollow…it was the closest thing I could find that was home. Erin was carrying a part of my soul until Voldemort took it from her. Now that my soul has a home again, its rightful home, Erin will heal…because everything is how it's supposed to be."

"But why did Voldemort take it in the first place?" Sirius asked.

"The Unmentionable Curse, only Voldemort would want to try it. He was almost done with the Horcruxes, so he was onto something else. Keeping someone alive and unable to go on…we'll never know what bit of magic he was going to do with my soul…something even blacker than Horcruxes I'm betting."

"Best not to dwell too much on that then," Sirius agreed.

"But if you were still alive why were you in that tomb?" Hermione asked.

Xenia smiled a little. "It was Severus. He was with Voldemort the night he tried to kill me. Voldemort took a piece of my soul and then used the Avada Kedavra curse on me, only it didn't work how he thought it would. I think he thought that a bit of my soul would live, but not my body. Voldemort told Severus to get rid of my body, that's when he realized I was still alive. He took me to Dumbledore and they knew something had to be done. Dumbledore seemed to know something, but he wouldn't share it with me or Severus. He just said when the time was right I would be all right, until then it had to be as if I was dead. He had Severus make up the Draught of Living Death and gave it to me. I would sleep until my soul found me and woke me from my slumber."

"So, you were never really dead?" Ron asked.

"No, not really, but Voldemort was very surprised, now wasn't he?" She laughed. "I guess the prophecy did come true that Rowena had. I guess the Phoenix did rise again and Harry Potter is the only Master of Death, the only wizard truly able to bring the dead back to life." She said grinning. "No one will ever believe you that you didn't bring me back from the dead, you know that right?"

"It'll be headlined in the Daily Prophet by tomorrow." Ron nodded.

"What about the wand, Harry? Why didn't it work for him?" Sirius asked.

"Because the wand never belonged to Voldemort," Harry told them. "Voldemort killed Snape because he thought the wand belonged to him, but it was Draco that disarmed Dumbledore that night in the tower. The wand belonged to Draco, until the other night at Malfoy Manor when I disarmed Draco. The wand is mine."

"Why did Draco try to fight us though?" Ron asked. "I thought Erin said he was on our side."

"He was," Harry said. "But he had to make it look like he wasn't for Bellatrix and his father."

"What about the other Deathly Hollows?" Hermione asked. "McGonagall called you the Master of Death."

"Yes, I'm a descendant of Ignotus Peverell. The cloak…my cloak has been handed down since then. The ring which was in possession of the Gaunt family, Voldemort's mother's family, had the resurrection stone as the stone of the ring. Voldemort made it into a Horcrux, but the ring can't be destroyed, it was part of why Dumbledore died. And then the Elder Wand was in Dumbledore's possession after he defeated Grindelwald, the wizard that took it from Gregoravitch as a teenager. So they were all mine. There is only one Master of Death according to legend though." Harry said.

"So that's why Viktor was so mad at Xenophilius!" Erin said.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked curiously.

"At Bill and Fleur's wedding he was angry because Xenophilius was wearing the symbol of the Deathly Hallows and Viktor just knew it as Gregoravitch's symbol! Gregoravitch was searching for the Deathly Hallows! And he was proclaiming himself as the Master of Death before he even had them."

"What are you going to do with them?" Ron asked curiously.

Harry looked at the wand and then snapped it in half throwing it off the bridge and took the stone from his pocket and dropped it into the ravine as well. "I'm only keeping the cloak, it was my dad's. Whether or not he got it from Death or if any of them are from Death doesn't matter. There will always be only one Master of Death, and I don't choose to remain so."

"What are we going to do now?" Hermione asked.

"Whatever we want," Harry smiled. "Let come what comes, until then, the future looks bright."


End file.
